Colosseum King
by RyoshiMorino
Summary: Instead of going toward the next League he can find, Ash decides do a little traveling simply to take a break. But where he goes is the roughest, toughest place known to human and Pokemon alike. Not only is it practically lawless, but the people there have no Pokemon League to keep them in line! It's a whole new world, with a bad ass attitude, but he's still out to beat'em all!
1. Chapter 1

_**Instead of going toward the next League he can find, Ash decides do a little traveling simply to take a break. But where he goes is the roughest, toughest place known to human and Pokemon alike. Not only is it practically lawless, but the people there have no Pokemon League to keep them in line!**_

 ** _It's a whole new world, with a bad ass attitude, but he's still out to beat'em all!_**

 ** _Pyrite Town Arc_**

 ** _1:Partners, Parties, and Problems!_**

* * *

Professor Oak sighed as he waited for the guest of honor to arrive. Having watched Ash's battle with Alain between Greninja and Mega Charizard. In the aging professor's opinion, it was far more than impressive. Both Pokemon had battled beyond what he knew they were capable of, and despite Ash's type advantage, Greninja had lost, even after unleashing its advanced form.

"Here he comes!" Delia shouted suddenly, smiling as she startled the people around the room. Brock, and Misty hid behind the kitchen wall, while Gary and Tracey ducked down behind the couch. The professor decided to simply stand behind the door.

Outside, two figures were entering the front yard, one of them, obviously, was the young man Delia was expecting. The other one, to her delight, was a young woman around Ash's age with short, sandy blonde hair. "Oh, that boy!" Delia smiled, "He doesn't contact me for yet another year, and he _finally_ decides to bring a girl home!"

"Say what?!" Misty piped up as she poked her head around the corner.

"Misty!" Brock growled and dragged her back to hide, "Not now!"

Meanwhile, Ash was hesitating. The girl at his side looked up at him, "Ash? What's the matter?"

On his shoulder, Pikachu cooed at him and rubbed his cheek against his, sparking just enough to get his attention. Ash sighed and reached up to pet the little Mouse, "It's...nothing, really, just feeling a little tired."

The girl frowned, "Ash, I know something's bothering you." She said, bumping her shoulder against him gently, "Come on, I already told you that you could talk to me."

He looked down at her, smiling lightly, "How the heck do you know me so well, huh?"

She stuck her tongue out at him, "Hey, I've been hanging around you for well over a year, so of course I'm going to know you better than you think." She said, a light blush coming to her cheeks. "Besides, you didn't ask me here to meet your mother just to say I'm just a friend, right?"

Ash just grinned, "Course not, I'm not that dumb."

"Chu..." Pikachu said skeptically. (Translations: " _Really_?")

Ash just looked at his old partner, "Don't even start, Pikachu."

"Chu pika cha pikachu." Pikachu smirked deviously. (Translation: "I haven't started, yet.") Pikachu laughed and hopped over to Serena's shoulder, nuzzling against her as he had Ash only moments ago as the girl giggled.

Serena scratched the little Pokemon behind his ears just where he liked it, and smiled at her boyfriend, "He's just happy for us, and you know it." She said, smiling, "Now what's bothering you? Don't think your little distraction fooled me, Ash Ketchum."

Ash just rolled his eyes, "Ah, and here I thought I'd get out of it."

"Nope, now talk, or do I have to find a snowball to throw at you?" Serena joked, making him smile as he recalled what had happened in Snowbelle City.

"Nah, I'm never gonna make you cry like that again," Ash promised her, smiling tiredly, "I wasn't kidding when I said I was tired, Serena. I've been traveling for well over six years, and now that I've come home again - "

"You feel worn out," Serena supplied, nodding in understanding, "Well, you have been going nonstop since you started. From everything you've told me, you hardly ever took a chance for a long break to just relax, or even think about what was ahead of you. It was just shoved in your face and you rolled with it like a Sandshrew down a hill."

"And boy am I one dizzy Sandshrew." Ash quipped, making the girl giggle, "You don't have to laugh at that on my account. Even I have to admit it was a horrible joke."

Serena shook her head, laughing louder, "It...it's not that...I was just imagining you doing something like that!" She giggled, "It's just what would happen to you. Remember all of the times you'd trip over your own two feet when you were training with Greninja?"

Ash chuckled, "Hey, come on, I've gotten a lot stronger physically because of that," he said, flexing his arms to show off the new muscle build he'd attained. "Kalos really worked me over, in more ways than one."

Serena nodded in appreciation as she wrapped her arms around his left one, and smiled, "Yeah, and what was it that took you so long to see how I felt?" Serena asked, raising her eyebrow at him.

Ash just grinned and scratched the back of his head, forcing his cap down over his eyes, "Oh, just the fact that a Zygarde nearly crushed me and threw you off of a cliff right in front of me," he said, wrapping the arm she held around her waist, and brought her close, "I knew right there and then that I wouldn't be able to go one if you weren't there with me."

"Uh...huh," Serena fought back a furious blush from the look in Ash's amber eyes that held just a hint of blue, and felt her knees go weak. True, she had become bolder after she and Ash had become official, but...well, one step at a time, folks. "I-If that's so, then why did you wait until you were about to board the boat to ask me to come with you?"

Ash shrugged, "You kidding? I've never...I've never felt the way I do about you, now. I wasn't sure how to do or say anything about it, and honestly, I was a little afraid." He said, gaining a look of confusion from her, "I didn't want to screw up what we already had. I mean, I knew I liked you a lot, but I didn't know I'd feel this...strongly about it."

"And so your idea of a romantic confession was to yell out, just as the boat was about to leave, by the way, 'Serena, let's go!'" She huffed, though, inside, she had been screaming with joy as she had ran and jumped for his outstretched hand as he hauled her onto the boat that would take them away from Kalos. Her mother had been...alarmed to say the least.

Clemont and Bonnie had varying reactions. Clemont had been worried that she wouldn't be able to make the jump, and was fluttering around like a Butterfree for help, while Bonnie just looked thunderstruck with little hearts in her eyes.

And then, after Ash had her safely in his arms, she'd found her courage, if only for a moment, stretching up on her toes, and kissed him full on the lips. It had taken all of a second for the raven-haired teen to return to gesture as Pikachu fell off of his shoulder in sheer shock at the whole situation. The cat calls from Bonnie had been bad enough, but the fact that Grace, Serena's own mother, had roared out that she wanted at least ten grandchildren had shocked the two apart. But not out of each other's arms.

Ash blushed lightly, "Yeah, I'm not much on romantic stuff, huh?" He admitted apologetically, "But I couldn't think of anything else to say!"

"I know something," Serena smiled at him.

Ash waited for a moment, thinking she was going to tell him, but saw that she was going to keep quiet until he gve up and asked, "Well," he said, giving in, "what is it?"

Serena giggled, and threw her arms around his neck, bring their faces closer until their noses touched, "I love you."

"Pii!" Pikachu bounced off of her shoulder, not wanting to get in the way of his trainer, and his mate as he drew her closer for what was going to be their second kiss since the boat incident...if the people waiting for them could have waited just a little longer...

"Nyah, I can't take it anymore!" A familiar male roared as the door sprang open, "Ash Ketchum, you - oops..." Gary's jaw nearly dropped to the ground at seeing the pair jump apart, blushing madly at nearly being caught. "Ah, sorry about that?"

"You'd better be!" Delia screeched as she came out whacked the young professor on the back of the head, "That's what's called ruining a moment, young man!"

Ash palmed his face, "Ah, come on! Who else was watching?!"

With a weak chuckle, Professor Oak and Brock came out, both of them looking at the young man bashfully, while Misty just came out with an oddly amused look on her face next to Tracey, who had his sketch pad in hand.

Serena hid her face in her hands, "Oh, Arceus! This is so embarrassing!"

Delia, her attention diverted from admonishing Gary, for the moment, turned to the girl and all but smothered her in a motherly embrace, "Don't say that, my dear, because you have _no idea_ how happy I am that my darling little boy actually brought a girlfriend home for once!" She gushed happily, holding the girl at arm's length, "How did you meet, and how long have you been together? I have to know!"

"I have to know how she actually managed to land him," Misty said, smiling at her old traveling partner, "Of all the fish in the sea, nothing seemed to be harder to catch than he was." The orangette said, smirking at him.

Ash had the decency to look embarrassed.

Delia giggled and ushered both the new arrivals inside, "You can both tell us all about it while we eat, seeing as Professor Eager ruined the surprise," she said, brushing passed Gary, who looked sheepish.

"Welcome home, Ash," Brock clapped him on the back, "Nice going making it to the top two, but man you were so close!"

Ash nodded, "Yeah, I know, it's the best I've ever done in an official League."

Serena looked back at him, "What do you mean by official League, Ash?"

Delia giggled, "Didn't he tell you?" She asked as the girl shook her head, "My boy's an unofficial Pokemon League Champion of the Orange League, unchallenged for four years running."

"Wow, really?" Serena asked excitedly, looking over at Ash, "How come you didn't tell me?"

Ash shrugged, "Never came up?" He said, sniffing the air as his mouth watered, "Man, if that's dinner I smell, I'm definitely home!"

"Pika pi!" Pikachu squeaked as he lept back up to his trainer's shoulders. "Chu chu, pikachu?" (Translation: "Is there any ketchup?")

Delia giggled as she led them into the kitchen where the table was set with all of her specialties, along with Ash's favorites. "Serena, I hope you don't mind artificial meat. We're a little sensitive to how people treat Pokemon around here, so we don't eat real meat."

Serena shook her head, "Neither do I. Ash made it a point to always eat at dinners that either did vegan or didn't use Pokemon based products."

"I couldn't touch a Tauros burger if I was starving to death," Professor Oak smiled happily as Pikachu bounced off of Ash's shoulder, and onto his to nuzzle his cheek affectionately, "It's good to see you as well, Pikachu!" He chuckled, tickling the little Electric type under his chin.

"Excellent," Delia clapped her hands together happily, "Then please, everyone have a seat, and Brock, dear, could you fetch a chair for - "

"She can have my seat," Brock said, one step ahead of her, pulling out a chair that was next to Ash for the Serena, "I'll just grab a lawn chair if that's alright?"

"Of course," she said, silently thanking him, her eyes falling on the girl, "Don't be shy, dear, dig in! No one comes to my home without having a proper meal!"

Ash didn't hesitate to start cutting into his meal, a steak, no less, and those around him noticed something. He wasn't wolfing it down like he normally would. Misty reached over and gave his cheek a slight tug. "Ow! What was that for?!" He growled at the Gym Leader over his reddening cheek while Serena grimaced at her.

"I just wanted to check and see if you were the real Ash," Misty said, grinning slightly, "The Ash I know didn't know what table manners were, and here you are, acting like a socialite!"

"Hey, I have manners!" Ash retorted.

Gary snorted, "You had the manners of a hungry Snorlax up until this last trip, Ashy-boy." He said, taking a bite of his own food, and looked right at the young blonde, "So, how did you do it?"

"D-Do what?" Serena asked, blushing lightly under the attention.

Tracey chuckled, "He means how did you teach this wild Mankey to eat like a normal guy?"

"Alright, I get it, my manners were horrible, can I eat my meal in peace, please?" Ash growled, and pointed his fork at Gary, "And if you call me Ashy-boy one more time - "

"What're you gonna do, set Pikachu on me?"

"Not Pikachu," Ash smiled, before taking a bite of his meal, "Goodra, and Noivern."

Gary snorted, grinning crookedly in much the same way that Serena had seen Ash do at times, "I'll behave, but seriously, when did you learn table manners? Both Delia, my mom, _and_ my sister tried, but got nothing!"

Ash simple jerked his head at his girlfriend, "She's a good teacher."

Serena blushed under his praise, "It wasn't _that_ hard." She said, suddenly finding her meal very interesting and quite delicious, "Wow, I didn't know artificial meat could taste this good outside of a five star restaurants!"

Brock came back in and scooted in beside Tracey, "Well, Delia's been cooking longer than I have, but I tend to cook for a lot of people, so we've both got some experience under our belts in make our food taste good to whoever eats it."

Ash laughed, "I thought you helped with the food." He smiled, "There's a difference in the flavor."

Misty smiled at him then, "Just like old times, huh? When the three of us were running around Kanto and Johto together?" She said, thinking back to all of the trouble the used to get into.

Brock nodded, "We were all a little green back then, even me and Misty, and we're both Gym Leaders." He chuckled, shaking his head, "I'll never forget that whole fiasco at the Cinnabar hot springs."

Ash groaned and rolled his eyes right along with Misty, "Don't remind me! That was way more of Misty than I ever wanted to see!"

"I could say the same for certain scrawny trainer, and a pervy Gym Leader I know," Misty said, narrowing her eyes at the two men, "And don't you two dare tell me you both didn't look, because you didn't start screaming until after I did!"

"Wasn't much to see," Ash quipped, giving Misty a once over, much to Serena's ire, "Still isn't." Serena felt better after that while Gary had to hold Mist back from throttling Ash.

Delia giggled at their antics, and patted Serena on the arm gently, "Don't worry, dear, they're nothing more than friends. Misty's been more like my adoptive daughter than anything else. And I could honestly say Brock is Ash's big brother."

"Just from the wrong mother," Brock put in, the table erupting into laughter.

Delia smiled sweetly before turning her attention back to Serena, "But really, dear...Oh, dear, I forgot to ask you your name!" Delia pouted, "I must be getting old if I did something so silly!"

Professor Oak just chuckled, "Come now, Delia, you don't look a day over twenty!" He said, gaining a blush from the woman, who was well into her thirties, "Beside that, we were all a little surprised to see that Ash had actually started a relationship with someone."

"Or was it the other way around?" Misty asked curiously, leaning on her hand, "I can't imagine Ash asking anyone to be his girlfriend...sorry to say he's more than a little dense."

Ash fumed, "I am going to kick _all_ of your asses."

"W-well, the truth is, he did start it," Serena said hurriedly, "And to introduce myself, my name is Serena."

Delia nodded, "Such a pretty name for such a pretty girl," she smiled happily, "Now, how did this happen, and how long has it been going on, if you don't mind me asking?"

Ash sighed while placing his utensils down, "Honestly, it should have been going on for a lot longer," the young man said, "Serena liked me from the start of my trip through Kalos. We met a long time ago at a came you and Dad sent me to."

"And he saved me from an angry Pokemon," Serena put in, smiling at the memory of him chasing off the Poliwag, "He even bandaged my knee with a handkerchief he had with him."

"After that, we didn't see each other for a long time, eleven years, I think," Ash said, looking at Serena's confirming nod, "And we met back up in Kalos. It took a little bit for me to remember her, but I did."

"And you got together after that?" Brock asked, but both teens shook their heads, "Oh, come on, Ash! You couldn't have been that dense if she liked you from the get-go!"

"Misty was right," was all the teen said in his defense, "But I gotta say she grew on me until I nearly lost her a few months ago."

Delia sighed, knowing full well that, as usual, her baby boy had gotten into some ridiculous situation again. "What happened this time?"

Serena took over from there, "An organization called Team Flare tried to use a Legendary Pokemon to create a weapon," she said, shivering at the memory of little "Squishy" turning into something as terrifying as Zygarde. "But they only succeeded in splitting it in half, creating two of them, and in the end, they fought each other, and we got caught in the cross fire because when we found a piece of it, it was tiny and - "

"You're not talking about that little green Pokemon that you showed to me over the video phone, are you?" Professor Oak asked, stunned, "That cute little thing was a Legendary?"

Ash looked at the man, "Why so surprised? Shaymin aren't all that big, and they're a Legendary Pokemon."

"Yes, yes, I know, but that was the first time I'd ever seen anything like it," the man said, sighing, "Ah, well, forgive me for interrupting, Dear, please continue."

Serena sighed, "Well, like I said, it was small, and cute, so one of our friends decided to adopt it until she was old enough to catch it herself." She said, thinking back with a smile at how happy and gentle Squishy had been with Bonnie, and how happy the little girl was with the small Pokemon, "But it was far from the cute little thing it was when Team Flare came after it."

"Turns out the little guy was the second half of a Pokemon called Zygarde, one of the guardians of Kalos," Ash put in, reaching for Serena's hand, clasping it in his, "After Team Flare got a hold of them, it was a total free for all until our Zygarde got control back and fought with the other half, and merged with it." He looked at the girl beside him, a frown on his face, "I was nearly trampled by them, but Serena pushed me out of the way, and got knocked over a cliff. If it wasn't for Clemont's Chespin, I would've lost her."

"And then, just as he was getting on the boat to take to Hoenn, he asked me to come with him," Serena smiled, leaving out the personal details, such as their kiss.

Misty was looking a little starry-eyed at the prospect of something of that manner happening to her, until something occurred to her. "You two took the long route here?" She asked, "The boat ride from Kalos to Hoenn alone takes three weeks, and then about another two if you came straight here from Hoenn." A sly smile crossed her face, making the young blonde nervous as Ash frowned.

"Your point?"

Misty giggled, "Oh, nothing, just wondering if Delia should expect her first grandchild in the next eight months or so?" She said, and wasn't disappointed to see both of them turn beet red as stream puffed up from Serena's head, while Ash's nose dripped slightly with blood.

Delia squealed, "Oh, my goodness! Ash, Serena, is it true!?"

"NO!" Serena squeaked.

"Dammit, Misty!" Ash roared.

"Can't blame a girl for being curious," Misty grinned, "I know if I was stuck with my boyfriend for over a month on a lovely little boat ride, I'd find more things to do than play shuffle board."

Brock looked at her, "Misty, since when do you have a boyfriend? I thought the last guy r-oof!" He felt someone kick his leg underneath the table. "Right, shutting up, now."

"Good idea," Tracey whispered.

=x=

As the day grew late, and the guests took their leave, Ash decided to let Serena have his bed for the night and sleep on the floor. Serena was a it disappointed. Not that she was going to spout it around, but they had been sharing a bed on the boat. Of course, they hadn't done anything improper, but Serena had grown used to sleeping cuddled up next to him.

"It's just for tonight," Ash promised as he rolled out a sleeping bag on the floor. Pikachu was already curling up next to Ash's pillow, his usual sleeping post, and dozing off while Serena released Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon into the room to sleep. "I'll talk to Mom about it tomorrow, though I'm gonna bet that she'll have no problem with it whatsoever."

Serena blushed as she laid out on Ash's bed, sighing dreamily, "She seems so nice. And I like your other friends, too...though you're going to have to tell me about this whole 'Ashley' thing that Misty brought up." She said, seeing Ash stiffen, "Don't tell me that Ash is short for Ashley?"

"Not with me, no," Ash said, blushing slightly as he crawled into his bag, "When I first started my journey, I kind of insulted a Gym Leader's perfume store, and she refused to allow me back in. So I ended up dressing as a girl named Ashley to get in."

Serena looked at him with a smile on her face. "Really?"

"Yup, blonde wig and all," Ash smiled at her, Misty and Brock love bringing that up whenever I get back home and have a new set of friends with me."

Serena giggled, "I can see why. I'd have laughed, too." She said, her shoulders shaking with mirth. "I can just see it now. Blonde with a pink dress, white stockings and black Mary Jane's!"

Ash said nothing.

"Wait, that's what you dressed up in?" Serena asked.

Ash just rolled over as Serena started giggling all over again. "Come on, it's not that funny." He grumbled, and scowled when he felt Pikachu shaking with barely contained mirth while Pancham laughed his glasses off.

"No, no, I think it's cute!" Serena giggled, "I might let you try a few of my costumes on just for fun!"

Ash growled, and sat up, "That does it!"

Serena squealed as Ash grabbed her leg and started tickling her foot, "A-A-Ash! No!" She howled, trying to kick him off of her with her free leg, "I can't stand it!"

"Too bad!" Ash laughed, "Now you'll get your comeuppance!" He grabbed her other leg and brought both of them together under his arm so he could assault both of her feet while the girl squirmed in his grasp.

=|Oak Laboratories|=

Tracey and the professor sighed as they stepped into the labs, the older male taking off his coat, "It's so good to have Ash back, even though it might only be for a little while." He said, smiling as he sat down at his desk, "The data alone from his Kalos Pokedex will prove invaluable."

"And I can't wait to get a few sketches of his new Pokemon," Tracey smiled, "But do you really think he'll be off on another adventure so soon after getting back?"

"It was the same thing that happened this last time, and the time before that," the aging professor said whilst checking his E-mails, and saw something that interested him, "Oh, seems like Professor Krane's sent me something."

"That man over in Orre?" Tracey asked, "I thought that place was a bit too wild for normal trainers and Pokemon Professors?"

The man chuckled, "We Pokemon Professors are the leading people that help most regions become just that. Orre is, and always will be a harsh environment meant for even harsher people and Pokemon. Krane has been trying to establish a League there for a long time, but the people are set in their own ways." He explained, "You see, unlike most other regions, Orre relies on Colosseum battles to keep a revenue flowing, both for their establishments, and for the trainers there. And Pokemon in general are rare in that region because its so harsh, even though the good professor has been working on establishing habitats for a few hardy species, so theft is quite common there, and there is hardly anyone that can do anything about it."

Having said that, the man opened up the bit of mail, and began to read. "Ah, seems like he does need a bit of help." He said, "Apparently a piece of technology has been stolen from his lab, and he needs a great deal of help getting it back."

"What was stolen?"

The professor sighed and leaned back in his chair, "Well, you see, a few years ago, while Ash was traveling through Hoenn, I believe, a machine was invented that could recapture an already capture Pokemon, effectively stealing it from its trainer." He said, looking grim, "Pack your bags, Tracey. We're leaving first thing in the morning. I'll ask Ash to come along as well. If there's anyone that could help in retrieving that machine, it's him."

* * *

 ** _This is a story I've wanted to do for a while, because I loved the Coliseum games, and I quite like the pairings of Ash and Serena. So, we have a worn out Ash Ketchum, and a happy Serena as his girlfriend about to be off to the rough and rowdy route to Orre, a place so wild that it's almost like a Pokemon style Ok-coral!_**

 ** _Now, for what we will see in this fic. It's rated Mature, so there will be mature themes. Those that know me, know full well I do Lemons, a lot, but with as rowdy as Orre is, don't be surprised if you see other elements. (Not rape, I abhor such things.) Now the Snag Machine, Ash will get it, but whether or not he'll use it is up in the air. Shadow Pokemon? Not sure just yet, but you can give me a few ideas._**

 ** _Pokemon? I may or may not throw in some little monsters from every region since Orre is a bit of a hodgepodge region. That includes whatever information if can dig up about the new Alola region coming this November for those of us in the US. So let me know what you think of this Fic. Opinions my peeps, tell me how you really feel!_**

 ** _Review, please!_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Pyrite Town Arc**_

 _ **2: Off To Orre! Set Sail To Gateon Port!**_

* * *

It was just barely the crack of dawn when Ash awoke to the sound of someone pounding on his front door. Groaning, the young man tried to ignore it, and rolled back over, attempting to fall back asleep.

But the pounding kept on, and a sleepy moan from his girlfriend made him sigh, and rise from his sleeping bag. "Dammit, who'd be here so damned early?" He growled in annoyance. Beside his pillow, Pikachu stretched and yawned as he came awake, and padded across the floor quietly to bounce up to his shoulder as the boy tip-toed out of his room and padded down the stairs.

Ash reached the front door just as whoever was knocking started up again, and a sleepy yawn sounded behind him. "Ash, dear, what's going on?" Delia asked her son as he moved toward the door, "Who'd be here so early?"

Ash shrugged, "Dunno, but they'd better have a damned good reason for it." He sighed and opened up the door, revealing none other than Professor Oak and Tracey, dressed for travel. "Professor? Tracey?" Ash blinked, coming fully awake, "What are you two doing here?"

Professor Oak tipped his hat to the boy, and his mother, who had rushed back up the stairs to fetch a robe before Ash opened the door, and was tying it shut as she came back down. "I'm truly sorry for calling on you so early in the morning, but I need to speak with you, Ash."

"Please, come in," Delia urged as Ash stepped aside to allow them in, "I'll put on some coffee for us. Just wait a few minutes."

Ash nodded, "Let me get dressed, and then we'll talk." He said, moving back toward the stairs.

Pikachu hopped up on the couch while his partner went up to his room, and curled up in the aging professor's lap, dozing off almost immediately. As Ash dressed, Serena came awake as he was pulling his jeans on, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Ash? What's wrong?"

"Sylve?" Sylveon raised up from her spot at Serena's feet, using her ribbons to rub her eyes.

Ash went over to her as she sat up, and pecked her on the forehead, "It's just the professor and Tracey. They're down stairs and wanted to talk to me about something, and I wanted to get dressed first." He said tenderly, "Sorry I woke you."

Serena sighed, the warmth of his lips on her cheek lingering. "It's okay. I don't think I was going to be asleep much longer." She swung her feet to the floor and stood up to twine her arms around his shoulders, "I miss having you next to me."

Braixen was already awake and alert by the time Ash had returned, and the loyal Fire type hurriedly ushered her two companions out of the room, having to carry Pancham, who was still dead to the world, to give her partner and her mate some time to themselves. Young as she was, Braixen had little knowledge of human mating rituals, but knew enough to see when they needed privacy.

As it happened, the couple didn't even notice their departure even as Sylveon quietly closed the door with her ribbon. Ash was more focused on the heat rising through him as Serena gently pressed against him. His arms snaked loosely around her trim waist, "Since when did you get so bold?" He couldn't help asking, "The girl I used to know would be a blushing mess if she even thought of doing something like this."

"We weren't alone back then," the girl smiled slyly, "I was way too embarrassed to say or do anything around Clemont and Bonnie, let alone mess things up between us."

Ash chuckled, "You don't have to worry about that," he said, raising his right hand up her back to the nape of her neck, making her shiver, "If anything, I'm the one that needs to worry about messing things up."

Serena giggled as her skin prickled under his touch, "You never had to worry about that before now."

"Before I didn't have a girlfriend," Ash said, his head lowering toward her, "Now I do." He closed the distance and pressed his lips against hers in a gentle kiss that had the girl quivering as she held herself up with the hold she had on his shoulders, supported by his strong arms. Her hands reached for his hair, dragging her fingers through the soft, wild locks gentle before caressing his face.

Ash felt like he was losing himself in those gentle hands of hers as they dragged across his skin. How had it taken so long to realize what could have been between them from the very beginning?

Growing bolder with each movement of his lips, his hand at her waist slid beneath the cotton of her pajama top, and Serena arched against him with a surprised, yet content sigh as his hand blazed a trail up her back like a Ponyta's mane. Her body reacted almost violently as she shivered when his hand brushed against her bare shoulder blades, having not worn a bra while she slept. If he wanted, she couldn't stop him from feeling everything.

She felt him taking a step forward, pushing her back toward the bed, and her heart slammed into her ribs tenfold...

"Ash," Tracey's voice cut in, making the two of them break apart, thankful that the door was closed, "Sorry to interrupt, but the professor and I really need to talk to you, and your mom's got breakfast going."

"We'll be down in a minute," Ash said, his voice sounding hoarse, and out of breath as he glared at the door.

Serena sighed and leaned against his chest for a moment to catch her own breath, smiling, "You're a really good kisser, Ash."

Letting out a loud breath as he released her, albeit reluctantly, he turned away to the door, "I'll see you down stairs, okay?"

"Yeah," she sat on the edge of the bed as the boy left the room before promptly throwing herself down on the pillow, and kicking her legs like a school girl as she squealed into the cushion.

=x=

"Absolutely not!" Delia roared upon hearing the reason for Samuel Oak's impromptu visit. "Orre is no place for any decent person! It's filled to the brim with thugs and the worst kind of lowlifes!"

"Delia, please, calm down!" the professor pleaded, attempting and failing to calm the irate woman, "It's not like I'm taking him there to do something reckless!"

Delia crossed her arms over her chest in a huff, "Just setting foot in that territory is reckless! My husband barely made it out of there as a child, and he vowed never to go back!"

Ash and Serena sat at the table listening to the exchange between his mother and the professor with interest. Orre, from the professor's explanation, was a barren wasteland of a region, with no League, or Gyms to keep order among the people. Very few Pokemon lived there, and the ones that did were larger, and more dangerous than your average mainland Pokemon. Even though it was just Northeast of Johto, the differences in what Pokemon were there was staggering.

The entire region was one large desert, providing habitats for few types aside from Ground, Rock and Steel type Pokemon. A simple Onix was three times the size of what a person would call a normal one in Kanto.

The people were just as bad. There was no law in the region, meaning they did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. It was also quite possibly the filthiest region among all of them.

But the idea that Ash's father had come from such a place intrigued him. From what he remembered, his father had always been a kind man, and always supportive, even though he hadn't seen him for a long time, he still sent Delia money earned from his travels.

"I wouldn't ask this of him if I had any other choice, Delia, but the fact of the matter is that Ash is one of the most powerful trainers I've had the pleasure of knowing." Samuel sighed, "He has five fully evolved starter Pokemon from three different regions, and the lower evolutions of several others, as well as other powerful species. One of them can even bond with Ash on such a level that it changes form akin to Mega Evolution."

Ash nearly blushed under the praise, but the question begged asking, "Why do you need me?"

The professor turned his attention to the boy and smiled, "A friend of mine, Professor Krane, who has been trying to bring Orre into the civilized world as an official region, with a League, was keeping a very dangerous machine under lock and key." He explained, "This machine, commonly called a Snag Machine, has the power to capture another trainer's Pokemon as if it were a wild one, and make it their own. Two nights ago, someone broke into his vault and made off with it. He already has his suspicions, but the fact remains that whoever has that machine can take any and every Pokemon he takes a fancy to. Whether they are wild or caught, he can and will take them for himself."

Delia clenched her fists as she saw the blue in her son's eyes flash dangerously. Amber had always been the dominant color, but whenever Ash was truly angered, that blue would surface. Whether she wanted to stop him or not, Ash would go.

"Why wasn't a machine like that destroyed?" Serena asked, horrified, "I mean, why keep something that can take other peoples' Pokemon?"

Samuel nodded in understanding of the girl's question, "Professor Krane had the idea in his head to mass produce the machine, and offer it to the small police force that resides in Orre, hoping that the power to take away a person's Pokemon in such a way would lessen the strife the people cause on a daily basis. But before he could recreate a new model, the original was stolen."

Ash crossed his arms in order to keep himself calm while he thought, "Alright, what's this place like, how do people battle, and how do I need to take this whole thing on?"

Tracey pulled out a few photographs from his pocket, "Battling is conducted inside three different Colosseums located in different cities across the region. Basically, you battle until you drop, or take the whole thing, even battling well into the night if you have to. But once you've taken on and beaten a Coliseum, that makes you the boss of that particular town. There's the Realgam Tower, which is the highest ranked Colosseum on the region, and whoever wins at that one, pretty much has the whole region in their pocket. If you went, you'd have to start at the bottom at Pyrite Town, and it's the worst place in the whole region. Phenac City would be the next one you went to if you wanted to climb the ladder."

Ash looked at the pictures, seeing the varying areas that were called Colosseums. Large dome-shaped battle area's. One looked run-down and half demolished, probably the Pyrite Colosseum, while another looked to be a fountain of water cascading down over a dome. The last was an enormous fortress-like tower supported by a single column.

"The guy that stole the machine is in the tower, right?" Ash asked, looking over at the professor, "Do you know anything about him?"

The man shrugged, "All I know is that he is rumored to possess three very powerful Pokemon. One of which has never been seen, but the other two are a Metagross, and a Mamoswine, both of which have never lost a match as far as I've been told. The third Pokemon is a mystery, as he never uses it. If he was pushed to do so, I believe he would, but he has yet to feel the need."

Ash set the pictures down and looked at his mother, who looked at him in worry, then at Serena. The girl was looking at him with determination, and a fire in her eyes. "We're going."

=x=

Several hours later, Ash and Serena found themselves aboard the S.S. Luna Maria in the Vermilion City port. It was a smaller vessel compared to the S.S. Anne Ash had taken as a younger trainer, more of an over sized yacht, which belonged to the professor. It was a vessel used strictly for research whenever the man had to travel.

Aside from Pikachu, his ever present partner, Ash had asked for three of his best Pokemon, Charizard, Sceptile, and Greninja. Surpisingly, Tracey now had a Scizor, his Scyther having evolved shortly after his last departure, and a Venemoth.

Professor Oak had brought along his Dragonite, and Rotom, of course, but what got the better of Ash was the fact that his mother was also coming along, and Arceus help whoever tried to stop her.

Ash himself leaned over the railing of the yacht as he watched his home region begin to disappear on the horizon once more, and sighed, "I guess being worn out doesn't mean I can rest for long, huh, Pikachu?"

Pikachu's ears drooped, "Chu..."

Ash felt something rub against his leg, and looked down to see Sylveon looking up at him with concern. "Sylvee?" The Intertwining Pokemon cooed at him, reaching up with one of her feelers and wrapping it around his left arm. Ash immediately felt a calming sensation wash over him as the calming effect the Fairy type had did its work. Ash smiled as he knelt and scratched the little Pokemon behind her ears.

"Thanks, Sylveon," the boy smiled as the little Pokemon cooed in delight. He looked over to the corner where the Pokemon's trainer was standing, her hands tucked behind her back, smiling at him. "You really do know me, Serena."

Serena giggled as she joined him, petting Sylveon as she stood next to him, "I figured you'd still be a little worn, so I had Sylveon come talk to you." She explained as Sylveon nodded, "Do you feel any better?"

Ash nodded and placed his arm around her shoulders, drawing her against his side, "Yeah. I just hope I can do what needs to be done this time around." He said, pulling out a file from his jacket given to him by Professor Oak. It contained an updated file on the man believed to have stolen the Snag Machine. He was a mountain of a man called Dakim. Formerly of an organization called Cipher, the man had once been in possession of an Entei of all Pokemon.

A smirk crossed Ash's face. He had battled Legendary Pokemon before, and come out on top before. With four of his best Pokemon with him, there was no way he would go down without a fight. But the idea that the man could take one of his Pokemon if one of them was knocked out set the hairs on the back of his neck rising.

There was no way he would let that happen.

Serena reached up and touched the hand he had on her shoulder, and leaned into him. "It's gonna be okay, Ash. You've gone up against some of the scariest things and people I've ever seen, and yet here we are." She closed her eyes and nuzzled against him, "We've seen all that Kalos had to offer, and beat all that it threw at us. A big thief won't be any trouble for you at all."

Ash nodded, leaning his head to rest against hers. "Just do me a favor, and keep close to me," Ash said, "We'll be working our way up to this guy from the bottom. Which means we'll be in Pyrite Town for a while. Keep your Pokemon with you, and watch out for yourself when I'm not around."

Serena giggled, and kissed him on the chin, "I can take care of myself, Sweetie."

Ash chuckled, "I know you can, but just...humor me." He sighed, "I don't want anything to happen to you...at least not if I can prevent it."

Serena nodded a silent promise to keep herself out of trouble if she could avoid it. But then again, when you were with Ash Ketchum, trouble seemed to follow you around like Team Rocket.

=|Speaking of Team Rocket|=

Down below the decks of the Luna Maria, three familiar thieves poked their heads out of the shadows, hoping to avoid detection. The smallest one stepped out and waved his paw, "Alright, yous two, the coast is clear!"

"Finally," a red-haired woman said, her hands on her hips, containing a belt full of Pokeballs, "It's bad enough that we had to steal our old Pokemon back from the boss, but even worse if the twerp and twerpette find out about us too soon."

"I agree," an indigo-haired man said, dusting himself off, "Did we happen to find out where we're all heading?"

"Orre," Meowth said, smirking, "the purr-fect place to disappear!"

=x=

Three days later found the Luna Maria docking at Gateon Port, Orre's only port town. But the only thing that was different was...

"Ew!" Serena gagged as the smells hit her nose full force. The water surrounding the port, where clear blue waters should have been, was green, and filled with garbage! There was no sign of Pokemon life at all! "This place is disgusting!"

"Piiika," Pikachu groaned, covering his nose against the smell. Ash held his arm against his face to block the worst of it, but the stench was worse than his Muk!

Delia came up on deck, a handkerchief held to her nose, "What did I tell you?" She asked, "This place is horrible!"

Ash looked at his mother, and nodded, "Yeah, but we're here to fix that." He said, looking out over the port town. The buildings were run down and filthy, some of them falling apart. The people just walked around as if it didn't bother them at all, coming and going as anyone would on a normal day. But as the Luna Maria began to dock, many stopped to stare at the ship.

As they began to disembark, the people went right back to the way they were. Ignoring them.

Tracey was unloading a Jeep from the cargo bay, while the professor came out, looking around the area, "Not a single Pokemon in sight. How horrible."

Tracey drove the Jeep onto the streets, "We'll have to head to Krane's lab, and from there we'll have to go around a large inlet, pass by Agate Village, and then we head straight to Pyrite Town."

* * *

 _ **Well, that's chapter two down as our heroes arrive in Gateon Port and prepare to make their way toward Pyrite Town where Ash will begin his climbn to the top.**_

 _ **Now, as I said, in this Fic, whoever topples the top dog in the Colosseums will gain control of the area of that particular Colosseum, I.E. the town it's located in.**_

 _ **It's going to take a lot of work for Ash an Co. to fix this fixer upper!**_

 _ **AN: Special thanks to ultimateCCC for pointing out my error in the first chapter, I'd forgotten about what Pokemon Serena was attacked by.**_

 _ **Don't forget to review.**_

 _ **9/14/16 Update: Fixed a few grammar problems pointed out by readers.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Pyrite Town Arc**_

 _ **3: Adamant As Steelix**_

* * *

Tracey drove the jeep through the streets carefully maneuvering through the crowds. The town may have been run down, but the streets were still bustling with activity. There were stalls and stands selling wears and goods such as food and similar products. Ash had to keep himself from gagging at some of the smells. Some of the food cooking smelled worse than the polluted ocean.

Serena huddled close to Ash and Pikachu as a few of the men passing leered at her and Delia, who gave them a cold stare. Ash had to hand it to his mother, though, the woman had become quite frightening upon leaving the boat. Like she was on guard every moment she took a breath. Pikachu was sparking his cheeks constantly in warning to anyone that got too close.

Finally, they began to reach the edge of the port town, and something actually caught Ash's interest. There was a man sitting on a wagon filled with hay, which was pulled by an odd, horse-like Pokemon he had never seen before. And it looked way too small to be pulling the cart that it was hitched to. He took out his Pokedex, pointing at the Pokemon.

 _"No data available._ " The machine said, much to his surprise.

"A new species?" Ash asked of the professor.

The man nodded as they pulled up beside the cart, his interest peaked as well, considering that the cart itself wasn't only laden with hay, but also a large cargo of Pokemon eggs.

A few people were milling around in front of the cart, considering the eggs, and even buying a few. The cart owner was a dark-skinned man, with black hair down to his shoulders, and a grin as wide as the hat he wore. "Ey, come to see me eggs, ya?" He spoke out in a deep, rich voice, that obviously wasn't native, judging by his accent. "Many good'uns this bunch. Make strong battlers!"

Professor Oak stepped out of the jeep to examine some of the eggs, "Some of these look very healthy," he commented, one egg in particular catching his attention, reaching out to touch it. It was a white egg, with blue swirls around the bottom, not unlike a Vulpix egg. But when the man touched the shell, he flinched when he felt just how _cold_ it was. "What kind of egg is this one?" He asked of the vendor.

The man tipped his hat back and looked at the egg, "Ah, t'at be the little pixie egg! Mama what gave me 'er mighty strong critter, take long time to get."

"Pixie?" Samuel asked.

"Ya, man, the little fox with lot's o' tails," he said, "Very pretty t'ing, ya ask me, very pretty. Maybe buy egg for pretty ladies d'ere?" He pointed to Delia and Serena, who was marveling at the eggs in the cart while Ash stood protectively.

The professor looked up at the man, "Do you mean this is going to hatch into a Vulpix?"

"Yah, t'at be the one," he said, "Very hard to get, but she be worth the trouble, ya ask me."

"Bray," said his Pokemon bound to the cart.

"But Vulpix are a Fire type," Tracey asked as he felt the coldness of the egg for himself, "This egg's ice-cold, and the Vulpix eggs I've been around have always been hot to the touch, and certainly not this color."

The man regarded the young Pokemon watcher, "Where ya'll comin' from?"

"Kanto," Ash supplied.

"Then you never seen Alola Pokemon," he grinned, "Over t'ere, t'ings be a little diff'rent see. Sandshrew and Vulpix? They Ice Pokemon."

"Really," the professor picked up the egg, "I'd heard about some species that changed types in that region, but I never thought I'd find one so close to home."

"Ya like?" The man said, grinning, "I give to you for five hundred, special for pretty ladies."

Ash stepped forward and pulled out his wallet, "I'll take it." He handed over the money for the egg, at which the man grinned as Ash took the egg from a smiling professor before placing it in Serena's lap.

"Ash! I can't take this!" Serena yelped, clasping the egg as it threatened to role, "I've never raised an egg before!"

Ash just grinned at her, "Well, I can always help you out with that. I've raised a few myself, you know?" He stepped back into the car and sat beside her.

The egg vendor waved at them as they started the car back up, "Where ya'll folks be goin', now?"

"We're headed for Pyrite Town," Tracey said, "Do you know any other ways to get there besides going around the inlet?"

He shook his head and crossed his arms,, "Nah, man, the long way the only way," he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder, "Couple o' years ago, people 'round here try to build a bridge cross that place, but all t'at noise? It upset the Gyarados livin' t'ere, and make'em attack bridge. Busted it all to pieces they did. People gave long time ago bout that bridge. Long way round gonna be just as dangerous though."

"Dangerous how?" Professor Oak asked.

"Cause t'at place go round to Steelix territory, man," he said, "Budula try to go toward Phenac City last year, yah, an' me find out real quick t'at they don't like no one goin' round t'ere 'ome. Onix and Steelix in dis place be way diff'rent. Onix, they be made o' crystal, and the Steelix be made o' diamond. Beautiful t'ing to see, yah, but Budula no want to go back round t'ere again. Them t'ings meaner than me angry Mudbray here."

"Mudbray!" The Pokemon whinnied and kicked the cart lightly, making it rock back and forth.

"Hey, don' break me eggs, Muddy Buddy!" Budula yelled at the Pokemon, who just brayed back.

Professor Oak chuckled, "Thank you for the warning, Budula. Is there any way to avoid them?"

Budula shook his head, "No, big chief Steelix? He keep big territory. Only way to get through is go fast, an' hope you can outrun the lolo 'efore he hears y'all coming. Y'all no stop for nothin', ya hear? Y'all good people, an' me no wanna see y'all hurt. Pyrite Town gonna be only chance to lose 'im. He no like going near t'at place. Much noise, and he no like a lot o' noise."

"We'll keep that in mind," Ash said, smiling at him and waving as the jeep started moving again. "Good-bye!"

"No good-bye, little brudda," Budula said, grinning, "Alolan say aloha. It mean good to see you, and until we meet again!"

Serena smiled as she cuddled her egg, "Then aloha, Budula, and thank you."

Budula waved at them as they moved away, "They goin' to Pyrite Town, eh, Mudbray, t'at's no good. Heap big trouble o'er t'ere."

"Mud..." the little mule Pokemon lowed.

=x=

"I think I can feel it moving," Serena commented as she held the Pokemon egg close, stroking the shell, "Does that mean it's close to hatching?"

Ash nodded, placing his hand on the cold egg, "It should be really close. We lucked out finding this one."

Delia giggled at the pair. They almost looked like a couple waiting on their first child the way Serena was clucking over her egg. Like a mother doting over the bump in her belly, mush like she herself had when she learned she was pregnant with Ash.

"If that egg really is an Ice type Vulpix, then the research we could do between the two species could revolutionize the evolutionary study of Pokemon in general," Samuel said, looking over the seat at the pair. "But all in all, I just hope the little one will be healthy in this environment. It's quite hot out here."

Tracey chuckled as he drove along the sand, "It is a desert, Professor. But even in the desert like this, some types of Pokemon can thrive." He said, looking up just as a Skarmory soared overhead. "What I'm worried about is getting to Pyrite Town and avoiding those Onix and Steelix."

"We've dealt with a crystallized Onix before, Tracey," Ash said, "Remember back in the Orange Islands?"

"Yeah," the older boy nodded, "It was beautiful, unlike anything I've ever seen in that species before."

Delia smiled, "Well, perhaps we'll see one that's gentle?"

"Maybe," Tracey sighed, "But I doubt it. If they're territorial, then we'd better not stop for anything."

Ash placed his hand on his belt where his Pokeballs were. The last time he'd seen such an Onix, it had been resistant to Water type attacks, so Greninja was out. Sceptile was a little iffy. He hadn't been able to see if the Pokemon had been weak against Grass types, but he did know that it had been severely weak against Fire types. So Charizard and Braixen were their best bets if a fight broke out.

Depending on how big the herd was, it was likely all hell was going to break loose.

The desert was passing them by rapidly as Tracey kept them close to the inlet, hoping the salty waters would discourage any Rock types. "Ash, what are we gonna do when we get to Pyrite Town?" Tracey asked, "If we're gonna get the Snag Machine back, then we're gonna have to work our way to Realgam Tower, or at least get some information on this Dakim guy, right?"

Delia shook her head, putting in her two cents, "In Orre, it's better not to draw attention to yourself. If you make it in the rings, you'll gain respect, and plenty of money, but anything fishy, and you'll have the worst of the worst on your tail."

"Is that something Dad told you?" Ash asked, holding Pikachu in his lap.

"It is," she said, nodding sadly, "Before he came to Kanto, he said his life was rough. Fighting for your right to live out here is an every day occurrence for most people that don't have Pokemon. Your father spent his early years as a wrangler. Since Pokeballs were harder to find back then, they had to catch and wrangle what Pokemon they could by hand without the aid of their own. It took weeks, even months to tame them enough."

"Do people still do that?" Serena asked whilst stroking the egg.

"I'm sure they do," Delia said, nodding as she reached over and stroked Pikachu's fur. The little Mouse gave a happy coo and hopped over into her lap so she could reach him better. "As Pokeballs are still hard to get around here, people do still need Pokemon to make a living here at the Colosseums."

Ash sat back in thought, looking up at the sky as the clouds passed by slowly, "So, say I win at the Pyrite Colosseum, what then?"

Delia sighed, "As we told you, you'd control the town as the leader, sort of like a gang. Though some probably wouldn't listen to you, and may even move on to a different location, but the fact of the matter is, you live in Pyrite Town, you follow the rules of the strongest person, and that means the person that wins against the current Colosseum King."

"I'd suggest letting Professor Krane fix up the town," Professor Oak said, "As much as I've heard about it, Pyrite really is the worst of all the settlements here. Then we can work our way up the ladder until we get to Realgam Tower, or encounter this Dakim and take the machine back."

Ash thought about the Pokemon he knew Dakim had. Both were weak against Fire types, so Charizard would definitely do well against him, but he thought about calling for some of his other Fire Types for training. Pignite and Quilava especially.

"HOY!"

Startled, Tracey hit the breaks hard at the shout, nearly unsettling the others, "What the hell - ?!"

The sound of sand shift under feet came rapidly as a man bumbled right into the Jeep, "Oh, man am I glad you guys came along!" He yelped, "You gotta get me outta here! Those things are right on my tail!"

"What things?" Delia asked, "And what are you even doing out here?"

"No time!" He yelled, waving his arms frantically. "Please, I don't wanna be buried like the rest of them!"

Tracey was about to question him further when the ground started to shake. "Oh, no, please tell me you didn't run into those crystallized Onix?!"

"Damned right!" He hopped into the jeep beside Delia, who tried to shove him away from her, "Now step on it!"

Tracey did not need to be told twice, and shifted the jeep into high gear before stomping on the pedal, "Get skinny, guys, this is gonna be rough!"

"Pikachu!" The yellow rodent yelped and dove under the seat for safety just as the jeep sped off.

Ash took out Charizard's Pokeball and tossed it into the air, "Come on, Charizard, it's time to go to work!"

The newcomer looked shocked, "You've got a Charizard?!"

"RAGH!" Charizard bellowed as he burst forth from his ball, and soared over the jeep.

"He's huge!" The man yelled.

"Charizard, we've got a bunch of Onix and Steelix on our tails," Ash yelled to his Ace, "They're all made of crystal and diamond, so use your Flamethrower and hit and run tactics to keep'em off of us until we get to town!"

Charizard grunted out a small puff of smoke before lifting higher into the air.

Serena took hold of Braixen's Pokeball and released her onto the floor, "Braixen, I need you to help Charizard keep the Onix and Steelix away from use using Flamethrower."

"Brai!" The bipedal fox nodded and hopped up behind them unto the back of the jeep.

"Be careful!" Her trainer cautioned.

And earth-shaking rumble bounced the jeep off of the sand as the first Onix surfaced right beside them.

"GADZOOKS!" The professor roared, "That's the biggest Onix I've ever seen! It must be over sixty feet!"

"Charizard!/Braixen!" Ash and Serena yelled at ounce as their Pokemon launched their attacks at the beast. The two streams of Fire connected with a tremendous force, scorching the the large Pokemon away, and back into the sand.

Professor Oak leaned back over the seat to get a better look, "That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" He roared, "Never in my life have a I seen such a beautiful Onix! It looked like it was made of glass!"

"Think that was cool, wait until you see the big fellas," the stranger said, catching his breath, "Name's Willy, by the way, and thanks for taking me with you. I owe you guys big time!" He said, reaching out to shake the professor's hand.

"You're a wrangler?" Delia asked in an icy tone.

"Yeah, one of the better ones," Willy said, shrinking away from the woman, "Me and a few other's were out looking for some Trapinch, and bungled into that Onix nest. Some of the guys got buried, but the others that got away left me for dead. It's every man for himself when those Onix are on the move!"

"Here comes another one!" Tracey yelled, swerving around a large lump in the sand that had suddenly appeared, where an Onix burst from the ground seconds later, and bulldozed after them. "That's bigger than the last one!"

"Better step on it, kid," Willy shouted, "These guys are wicked fast in sand!"

"I'm giving her all I've got!" Tracey yelled, "Ash, see if you can get it off of us!"

Ash nodded, and signaled Charizard. The pseudo Dragon took the hint and rolled through the air, whizzing down like and arrow toward the in coming Onix. The Rock Snake saw him coming and reared up, unleashing a massive Dragonbreath attack at him, but the Fire type rolled to the side and let loose with a Flamethrower right in the Pokemon's face as he shot up into the air again.

Onix roared in pain, and dove back into the sand to smother the flames. Willy was looking around frantically for anymore that might be coming toward them, "They won't let up until we're close to a town. For some reason they hate the noise of the larger settlements around here and won't go near them."

"And how far is Pyrite Town?" Serena asked.

"Too far," Willy said, chuckling nervously. "All I've got are my Linoone, and they can't do anything against these guys."

Ash growled as another billow of sand rose up a few meters from them, this one larger than the last. "Oh, shit!"

"Ash Ketchum, you watch your language!" Delia said out of motherly habit before he pointed to the cloud, "Oh, shit! Turn, Tracey! Turn!"

"I'm trying!"

Ashe looked up at his Pokemon, "Charizard, use Blast Burn on that sand cloud!" He roared, and Serena turned a stunned look on him.

"Ash, that's dangerous!"

"No choice!" Ash groaned as Charizard glowed blue before a ball of compressed flames came to his claws as he hurtled toward the sand. He slammed his claws into the ground, unleashing a might explosion that nearly caught the jeep as the beast beneath the sand roared and rose. "Holy sh-" Delia clapped her hand over his mouth before he could finish. But that wasn't to say she didn't agree.

Pikachu peeked out from under the seat, and yelped, diving back in at the sight before him. If Professor Oak thought the two Onix from before were big, the the Steelix in front of them now dwarfed them both. It was enormous!

"Ah, man, that's the leader!" Willy yelled, "Quick, you gotta pour on the gas! Pop it into four wheel drive!"

Tracey did as he was told and shifted gears once more, shooting the jeep forward. "Now what?!"

"Keep close to the water, and get ready to cut across it!" Willy yelled, "There's a shallow spot that goes all the way to the other side, and takes us almost right into Pyrite!"

Steelix roared as Charizard buzzed him with Flamethrower, having recovered from his Blast Burn attack, and shot after his trainer and friends as the beast tried to douse the flames, and barreled after them. The Steelix was right on their tails in a moment, snaking its way through the sand as if it was flying.

Braixen kept the Steelix at bay by breathing fire right at its face as it gave chase, keeping well away from the flames, yet wanting nothing more than to crunch the jeep in its jaws, passengers and all.

"Turn!" Willy yelled, and Tracey twisted the wheel on a hard right, rushing into the water. Serena screamed, tucking her precious Pokemon egg against her stomach as she ducked down from the salty spray of water. Ash covered her with his body, taking most of the water on himself, and grabbing Braixen as she nearly fell into the water herself.

Tracey didn't stop there, and powered on ahead as the tires found purchase on the submerged sand bar, kicking up a trail of water in their wake. Steelix stopped at the water's edge, roaring loudly at its lost quary.

"Why isn't it following us?" Ash wondered aloud, "The crystallized Onix were never bothered by water?"

Willy sputtered out a mouthful of water and shook his head, "Neither is he," he said, jerking his thumb at the gargantuan Pokemon, "But he know's this is Gyarados territory, and he steers clear of them. They won't bother us though. It's too close to land for them to bother with us." he flopped back in the seat, "Whew-wee, that's something I won't be doing again for a while!"

"I heard that," Tracey muttered, "That was terrifying!"

"Pika," Pikachu squeaked as he hopped up in Ash's lap and shook out his fur.

Ash groaned as he was showered again before he recalled Charizard while Serena did the same with Braixen. "How far does this go?"

"About eleven miles, give or take," Willy sighed, "Again, thanks for saving me. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Serena looked at the man and said, "Can you tell us anything about the Pyrite Colosseum?"

Willy nodded, "Sure can. It'Luvs a five round, no rest battle. Depending on the King's fancy, you either do a single or a double battle." He said, looking at the girl, "Why? You planning on entering? Good way to earn some good cash."

"No, I am," Ash said, "Who's the King?"

Willy shrugged, "Gal that goes by the name of Lovrina." He said, "She's a real babe, but a whole lot of bad news rolled up into a hot little package if you know what I mean." He growled, "Want my advice? Don't tangle with her. She's one mean bitch, and she's never lost a battle."

"She's strong, huh?" Serena asked as she began to worry, and turned to her boyfriend, "Ash, maybe we - "

"She's strong enough in her own rights," Willy went on, "Her Pokemon aren't all that impressive, it's just her tactics. She likes to cheat. If you don't knock out her Pokemon before she starts that up, then you've already lost."

Delia hmphed, "I told you the people were rotten around here."

"Hey..." Willy slumped, "Not all of us are bad, you know?"

Ash considered his options, "What kind of Pokemon does she use?"

"She uses a Roserade, a Luvdisc, and Beautifly," Willy said, "Like I said, nothing special. But if she thinks she might have trouble with a trainer, she'll get rid of them, and take what Pokemon they have. She's done it before. Just drives them out into the desert and leaves them for dead. When they don't show up for the King's match, the forfeit, letting her keep her crown."

Serena growled, "Okay, now I seriously don't like this girl!"

"You shouldn't," Willy said, looking ahead of them, "Careful up here, the water gets a little deeper."

"Right," Tracey said, slowing down as the sank a little lower in the water before leveling out again.

Willy looked at the raven-haired teen, "So, you planning on trying for Lovrina's title?"

Ash nodded, a familiar fire in his eyes, "You bet!"

=x=

Jessie, James and Meowth all groaned as the sun beat down on them while they crossed the desert, "Who's idea was it to follow the twerps again?" James asked, his throat parched.

"Not mine," Meowth grumbled.

Jessie growled at both of them and stomped the ground angrily, "Will you two shut up?!" She yelled, "If we just follow them, we're bound to come to a decent town, unlike that stinky, smelly port we landed at!"

"Yeah, but what do we do when we get there?" Meowth asked, "It ain't like we can get jobs in a place like this."

"We'll figure something out," James sighed, "I've got enough money to keep us fed for a while, thanks to my parents, but we should see what this place has to offer."

Jessie nodded and was about to agree when the ground started shaking beneath her. "Meowth, please tell me that's your stomach!"

"I'm hungry, but not that hungry!"

The ground exploded as a massive Onix rose to the surface, sending the three former Rockets flying.

"We didn't even do anything!" They yelled, "And we're blasting off again!"

Back on the ground, Onix looked around for whatever had woken it up, and, finding nothing but sand, decided to burrow back down to finish it's nap.

Morale of the story? Softly trend the sand and let sleeping giants lay.

* * *

 _ **You'll have to excuse the grammar in this chapter. My character, Budula, is basically me when I've not had enough rest, and had way too much sugar. But that's the way he talks normally.**_

 _ **Anyway, Ash and Co. are on their way to Pyrite Town after a run in with an angry Steelix, and Ash is primed and ready to take on Lovrina, The Colosseum Queen of Pyrite while Serena now has a new Pokemon to care for when it hatches.**_

 _ **AN: The idea of the Crystal Onix and Diamond Steelix came from an episode of Orange Island Adventures where a guy goes off to find a rare Crystallized Onix. So the question is, why couldn't it evolve into a stronger type of Steelix?**_

 _ **Aloha, everyone, and don't forget to review!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Pyrite Town Arc**_

 _ **4: Rekindled Flames**_

* * *

Professor Krane sighed in relief as the face of Professor Oak appeared on the video screen. "I'm so glad you all managed to get to Pyrite Town safely," he said truthfully, "I hadn't realized that the Onix herd would cause you such a problem."

"Think nothing of it, my dear boy," Samuel smiled, "As hectic as the ride was, it was astounding to see such a magnificent sub species of Onix and Steelix such as them. It's only a shame that we had to keep moving, or else I'd have been tempted to capture one."

Professor Krane chuckled, "They are quite the sight...tell me, this trainer you've brought with you, is he really as good as you say he is?" He asked skeptically, "I realize that it's rude to question you, Professor Oak, but a seventeen year old boy is hardly awe inspiring to the masses."

The elder professor shook his head with a smile, "It's quite alright, I do understand your concerns. However, this boy is far beyond what I ever expected him to be when I first gave him his license seven years ago. He's not quite at a master's level, but he is quite close with his Pokemon, and the bonds they have make them almost unbeatable save for a select few cases. He's only recently come home from Kalos after finishing in the top two of the Pokemon League in that region. And you know very well that Kalos is quite a harsh place for inexperienced trainers."

"Oh, yes, I understand that all too well," the younger man sighed, "I only wish Wes and Rui were still around. They were incredible people."

"Are these the two that gifted you with the Snag Machine?" Samuel asked, intrigued, "You've never mentioned any names before now."

Krane nodded, somewhat sad, "Yes, they were the ones that gave it to me. Wes was a former member of Team Snagem, the ones that created the device, but he loved Pokemon dearly, and only worked for them under the pretense that the machine would be used to rescue abused Pokemon from wicked trainers." He said, thinking back to his first meeting of the young man, "When he found out he'd been lied to, Wes stole it with the aid of his Umbreon, and Espeon. Later, he met Rui, and together they took down Team Snagem, and the larger organization that was creating Dark Pokemen. I believe you've heard of these?"

Professor Oak's face hardened as if made of stone, "I have, and I've encountered them before. Only in my situation, they were under the influence of a device called a Dark Ball. It is a special Pokeball used by Team Rocket to shut off the emotions of a captured Pokemon, and bring out their full potential for battle, making them a heartless fighting machine. This process was reversed once the ball containing the Pokemon was destroyed, returning the Pokemon to its original state before being captured inside the ball." He gazed at the man through the screen, "Tell me, am I hitting close to what these Pokemon were capable of?"

"Worse," Krane said, "These Pokemon were indeed enhanced once they were turned dark, but they also had a different mode of battle abilities. They went into a berserker like state while fighting, and wouldn't listen to the trainer they were fighting for until they calmed down. They even hurt themselves in this form. Wes and Rui were able to help dozen of these poor things after he used the device to take them back from their handlers. Wes showed them no mercy."

Professor Oak nodded, "What happened to them?"

Krane smiled at him, "Nothing bad, I assure you." He said, "After it was all said and done, the two of them took their Pokemon, and left as a married couple. It's been a few years since I've seen them."

Samuel chuckled, "What a relief, I had thought that those two organizations would have sought revenge against the two children for spoiling their plans."

"No, Wes was far to good of a trainer to be taken down easily," Krane said, "Three of the Dark Pokemon he saved turned out to be Legendary Pokemon from Johto, and as far as I know, he still has them, and woe be tide the fool that crosses them. And we shouldn't have to worry about such Pokemon showing up here. While it may be nearly lawless, the police have raided and captured everyone involved with the project. And the data was destroyed. I made sure of that myself."

Professor Oak nodded, "That is good to hear. And I assure you that we will succeed in reclaiming that machine, and we will establish order in this region with you as the acting Professor."

Krane shook his head, "It's better that you find someone else for that role, Sam. I'm only good with machines, not Pokemon. Perhaps that grandson of yours?"

"Maybe," the aged professor smiled, "he has been doing marvelous work with Fossil Pokemon. Maybe bringing him in on this little venture would help, as he's a powerful trainer as well. Yes, I'll ask him just that."

"I'll talk to you soon should anything come up," Krane said, "In the mean time, do your best to get Pyrite out of Lovrina's control. Then we'll be able to start bringing Orre out of the shadows."

"We'll do our best," Professor Oak nodded, "Good luck, Krane."

"You as well," Krane said, "You'll need it." He hung up the phone, cutting the video line off, and stretched. "I hope all of this trouble they're going through is worth it in the end." He said to himself, heading out of the lab, and into the gardens.

Thanks to an underground spring, his laboratory was rich with greenery, and clear, clean water filtered by the sand. The area was lush with different plants he had brought over from the various regions, even a variety of apricorns, and berries.

The area had done well once he had dug out the spring and formed it into a small pond...a pond that now hosted three floating figures!

"What the devil?!" Krane roared and waded out into the water, dragging the first body out of the water, a red-haired woman, followed by a man, and a Meowth, all of whom looked roughed up. "How in the world did they get here?"

"Ugh..." the Meowth groaned, "My aching whiskers..."

Krane nearly fainted, "Did...did you just talk?"

=x=

Willy and Ash were walking around Pyrite Town so the younger man could get a feel for the people around him. Pikachu, perched on his shoulder as usual, was flicking his ears this way and that, making the trainer feel his partner's nervousness. And he could see why.

Pyrite Town was a slum.

Every region had one, but Ash had never seen anything like this before. Most of the people they passed by smelled of alcohol, or were drinking in plain sight without at care in the world. Those that weren't, trainers, he guessed, were cleaner than the others, and obviously sported a belt with Pokeballs attached. Ash kept his own in plain sight.

Judging by the looks on the other trainers' faces, he was already being singled out. Many were looking at him like a fresh piece of meat, or at his belt, probably thinking of snatching it when he wasn't looking.

"So, Ash, why do you wanna take on the Colosseum?" Willy asked, looking over his shoulder at the teen. "I mean, you came all the way here from Kanto, but I can't see any gain in competing unless you just want the money?"

Ash shrugged, "I just came as a favor. Honestly I've been traveling so much these last few years that I just feel worn out from it all." He said, reaching up to pet Pikachu. Pikachu rubbed against Ash's neck in affection, cooing lightly under his touch.

Willy looked at him in surprise, "How long have you been traveling?"

"Started when I was ten," Ash said, sighing, "I'm seventeen, now. From Kanto to Kalos, and now here I am."

The wrangler whistled lowly, "Man, kid, you've been all over the place, huh?" He asked, looking surprised, "No wonder you're feeling low. Anyone would after doing that for so long...what did you do?"

"Competed in every Pokemon League I came across," Ash said, thinking back over the years, "Each time it was the same thing. Go to a new region, catch new Pokemon, win badges, compete in the League...I only ever won one of them. As far as I know, I'm still the Orange League Champion."

Willy chuckled, "Whoa, you mean I'm talking to a real regional champion?" He laughed, drawing some unwanted attention from some of the trainers nearby, "No wonder you've got such a strong Charizard!"

Ash sighed, "Yeah, but the Orange League isn't recognized as a real League," he said, "Even if I am a Champion, I'm not seen like one. I've been clawing my way to the top for most of my adult life, but I keep falling short of the finish line."

Willy hooted, "That's life for ya, Ash," he said, smirking, "Look at the people around here. All of us have to fight for our supper, but we accept that. That's just the way life is for us here, and I don't think it'll change any time soon. Me? I wrangle Pokemon for folks that need them to fight in the Colosseum tournaments. If I didn't do that, then a lot of these people would go hungry, cause I'm one of the few that actually deliver. Those Trapinch I was tracking with those rats yesterday? They'd have bought me a fair few meals, but in a few days, I'd be right back out there, hip deep in the sand, and probably buried alive by that giant Steelix that you drove off.

"See, things may seem hard, Ash, but you gotta remember, as hard as you got it, somebody else always has it way worse than you do. Orre's a prime example. We're next door neighbors with Johto for Pete's sake, and it is rich with Pokemon, and plenty of jobs for schmucks like me, but we can't get across the desert in time to avoid dying from the heat. No vehicle could make it, and what ships come in refuse to take passengers." He said, gesturing around him with his arms, "For us here? There's no escape from this failed region. And that's exactly what it is. A failure."

Ash looked at the man, "How can you say that when all of these people live here?"

"Simple," Willy said, jerking his thumb at the Colosseum, "See that thing? That didn't always used to be a Colosseum. It was supposed to be a state of the art Gym at the time, kid. A _Gym_ here in Orre. Ain't that something? But now look at it. Broken down into a battle royal. We don't have Pokemon Centers, we barely grow enough food to feed ourselves, let alone sell to make money. And what wild Pokemon around here there are, aren't good for eating. Most what everyone eats around here is a really tough breed of wheat, and rice, along with some wild vegetables that are easy to grow in this climate. Plus there's cactus. Not bad with a little hot sauce." He grinned. "But that's it...No Pokemon League, no professors to keep everything in order, and no steady flow of Pokeballs to help us catch Pokemon and get into the coliseum rings, which means no steady flow of income for people without Pokemon. They starve, they die, and nobody gives a damn about it in the end. So, yeah, Orre's a total failure as a region."

Ash looked down at his feet, feeling ashamed, "Sorry...I didn't know any place, or region could be this bad."

Willy came forward knocked him in the shoulder with a light punch, "Hey, kid, don't worry about it. It ain't perfect, but we do live our lives to the fullest here. You ain't lived until you've wrangled a Pokemon with your bare hands." He grinned.

Ash chuckled and pulled out his Pokedex, gaining a curious look from the older man, "How many Pokemon do you have, Willy?"

"Just my two Linoone," he said, pointing to his belt, "Why?"

Ash pressed a button on the thin machine, and a Pokeball flashed into his hand. He held it out to Willy. "Now you've got three." He tossed the green Pokeball into the air, "Tauros, come on out!"

One of Ash's Tauros appeared, pawing the ground in agitation. Ash chuckled nervously as he recognized this one. It was the only Tauros in his whole herd that didn't care much for being captured.

"Wow!" Willy yelled as the Tauros turned its head toward him, "I've never seen a Tauros before! This guy's huge!" He reached out to touch it, but the Wild Bull growled at him, making the man flinch back, "I...don't think he likes me, Ash."

Ash snorted, "This guy doesn't like anyone. Sorry about that." He said, scratching the back of his head.

"Pika!" Pikachu bounded off of his shoulder and landed on Tauros' head. The bull looked up at him and grunted. Pikachu started chattering to him rapidly in his language, telling him that Willy was a good person, at least from what Ash was able to catch, and that Ash wanted to give him to Willy so that he could battle in a tournament of sorts.

Now this particular Tauros wasn't keen on being captured, but the idea of finally being able to battle was appealing. Especially since he spent most of his time running around with his herd, or butting heads the other Pokemon. Tauros lowered his head, and butted his head against Willy's side. A sign of acceptance.

Pikachu hopped back onto Ash's shoulder, who grinned, "Thanks, Buddy." Ash said, turning to Willy, who was now petting the brute, "Looks like he doesn't mind so much anymore."

"Ash...I don't know what to say," Willy beamed, "You don't know how rare these Pokemon are around here!"

Tauros lowed at him as Ash handed him the old Safari Ball, "Well, hopefully he'll do well in the battles around here. He may have a temper, but this guy was one of the stronger ones in my herd."

"You've got more?" Willy asked, stunned.

"With this last year, the herd's grown to well over fifty with the calves." Ash sighed, "And I love every one of them." He grinned as Willy returned Tauros to his ball, and turned, "Come on, let's get back to the hotel before someone decides to rob us."

Willy just grinned and slung an arm across the teen's shoulders, much to Pikachu's annoyance, "You know, maybe you can take Lovrina down." He said, grinning widely, "If you do, I think things might actually change around here...and for the better."

Ash smirked, "That's the plan, Willy," he said, looking at the man, "think you could help us out?"

Willy nodded, his grin turning fierce, "You better believe it, kid."

=x=

Serena came out of the small bathroom that was located in her hotel room, towel wrapped around her body, and sighed, "At least this place has a decent shower," she smiled, sitting on the small twin bed, and rummaging through her bags. She pulled out a brush and started on her damp hair, careful of the tangles. "I wonder where Ash and Willy ran off to? Surely he wouldn't challenge the coliseum right away?" She said, thinking out loud before letting a laugh bubble up in her chest. "Of course he would, that's just like him!"

The door to her room opened up suddenly, startling her as Pikachu bounded in, and hopped into her lap. "Pika pi!"

"We're back," Ash smiled as he entered the room, forcing a shriek out of Serena as she pulled the blanket off the bed and around herself, sending Pikachu bounding to the couch, while Ash turned around quickly, his face flaming red. "S-sorry! I'll just - "

"It's-it's fine, I just..." Serena was worse off than he was, her face steaming as she tried to cover herself. "I thought you might be gone a little longer, so I decided to clean up a bit before bed and - "

"I should've knocked first," Ash said, blushing furiously. "I-I should go, and -" He made for the door. Serena was up in a flash, clasping him around his waist. Ash stiffened as he smelled the familiar scent of her favorite shampoo.

"Don't go."

Ash gulped. "I...I really should, you know...this isn't proper."

Serena took a step back from him, one hand on his back, the other still holding the towel in place. "You...don't have to go...just...don't turn around until I'm ready, okay?"

Ash nodded wordlessly as he felt her warm hand leave his back as she padded back over to her bags and pulled out her clothes. Ash tried to keep himself calm as the rustling of clothes reached his ears, but the fact of the matter was that he was nervous as hell. The young couple had slept together, but that was it. Nothing more than sleeping, and they always respected each other's privacy. Normally he would stand in the hall if she needed to change, or wait somewhere else. The hotel was small, however, and there weren't many places he could go.

She knew that, nor did she trust the people around the small slum town. So, rather than letting Ash stand out in the hall, making himself a target for anyone that wanted to steal from him, she would rather suffer through her embarrassment and let him stay turned around while she dressed.

Ash had the strongest urge to turn around, but that was stupid. He couldn't betray her trust like that...could he? _Ah, this boyfriend stuff is hard!_ He groaned, jumping slightly when he felt a light touch on his arm. Serena smiled at him in her pink pajamas and bow as he turned around. A smile found its way to his lips as well. "Sorry about that."

Serena shook her head, "It's fine, really. It's not like you saw anything, right?"

"No," he admitted, "I was too surprised to notice." Though he did remember catching a glimpse of her long, slender legs, but he wasn't about risk getting her upset over something like that.

She pulled him into the room toward the bed and sat down with him, "So, what did you find out?" She asked, "Anything on this Lovrina?"

Ash sighed and shook his head, "She stays out of the spotlight, I guess. So other than what Willy told us before, I don't know anything." He said, looking around the room, "Hey, where's you egg?"

"Oh, Professor Oak offered to watch it for tonight while I was in the shower," she said, blushing slightly, "I didn't wanna leave it alone while I was cleaning up, either, so I didn't think it would hurt if he took care of it just for tonight."

Ash nodded, "Smart choice. A lot of people probably would have been after that egg."

Serena nodded, remembering all of the glares that had been directed toward her as they came into town. All of them seemed to be sizing her up, pobably wondering what kind of fight she would put up if they made a grab for her egg. "Ash, I'm starting to wonder if we were right to come here." She said, "I don't mean to sound cruel, but these people - "

"Yeah," Ashe said, cutting her off with a growl, "I thought the same thing a little while ago. Willy and I had a long chat about this place." He sighed and kicked off his shoes to lie back on the bed. He took off his jacket and tossed it on the other end of the couch, avoiding Pikachu, who was curling up for bed on his end.

As he laid his head against the pillow, Serena curled up against him, her head resting on his shoulder, "So," she sighed happily as he reached up and began to stroke her hair, "What changed?"

Ash shrugged, "He just...showed me what I need to do," he said, looking down at her, "Serena, it _is_ horrible here, but I can change that if I can win in the Colosseums. It's not just about getting that stupid machine back anymore." He said with a passion that he hadn't felt since he faced Alain in the finals. "I can't explain it, but I feel like it's something that I have to do."

Serena smiled, and stretched up to kiss him on the cheek, her face lightly flushed, "Then go for it." She told him, her eyes beginning to close, "You know I'll always be here to help you...just like you did for me."

Ash chuckled and pulled the blanket up over them, motioning for Pikachu to come over. His partner came bounding over, and nestled himself between them, drawing a giggle from Serena as she reached down to pet him while he curled up.

=x=

"So you heard him talking to Willy?" Said a young woman with long pink hair, "What did you find out?"

The man she was talking to was a thin, blond-haired man with shades covering his eyes, "Oh, a lot of things, Miss Lovrina." He said, clasping his hands together in a placating manner, "He's a really well traveled trainer from what I heard, and he's competed in almost all of the Leagues, and is a Champion from the Orange League."

"Hmm, that's a rather tough tournament," Lovrina mused, smiling as she licked her lips, "What else?"

"He's planning on taking you on in the coliseum," he said, "and from what I heard, he's got a really powerful Charizard that was able to drive off that huge Steelix in the Northeastern desert near Gateon Port."

Lovrina's smile faltered, "A Charizard, huh? That could give me trouble if he reaches me...is there anyway that we could... _sway_ him to my side?" She said with a wave of her hips. "Just how attractive is this newcomer, Folly, and how old do you think he is?"

Folly gulped as the young woman glared at him through half-lidded eyes, "He's, er, he's your age, Miss, seventeen, and...well, I don't swing that way, but I can't say he ain't good looking. I mean for a guy." Folly stammered, "He's got some wild black hair, and these really weird gold-brown eyes. About five foot eight I'd say and - "

"That's all I need to know," Lovrina giggled as she sashayed over to him, "go find him tomorrow morning and...invite him to tea."

* * *

 _ **As requested by Story-Critic, Ash's age in this fic is Seventeen, while Serena is only slightly younger than he is at sixteen.**_

 _ **Now as we can see, Ash is back to his old self as he sees through the eyes of an Orre native, and is now determined to make things change for the better, but Lovrina seems to have other plans as she seeks Ash out in the next chapter! Will the wily young**_ _ **seductress win him over, or will all hell break loose...my money's on the latter! HA!**_

 _ **Don't forget to review!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Pyrite Town Arc**_

 _ **5: Preparations**_

* * *

Ash woke up bright and early the next morning, and, mindful of the sleeping girl and Pokemon beside him, crawled out of bed and pulled on his shoes, heading outside with a grin on his face. If he was going to be doing Double Battles in the Coloseum, then he needed to work on an old tactic he'd seen while in the Battle Frontier. And he had the two perfect Pokemon in mind.

He walked out of the hotel, the morning air, crisp and clean, the smell of the previous day washed away by the chill of the desert night. Taking a deep breath, Ash made his way toward the edge of town, and out onto the sands before he unclipped two of his Pokeballs, tossing them into the air.

Charizard landed with a thump while Greninja stood beside him, his arms crossed as usual. The large Fire type gave Ash his typical greeting of a weak Flamethrower to the face. Greninja, however, was unused to the pseudo Dragon's antics, and was immediately on the defensive.

"Grenin! Ninja gre!" Greninja yelled at the larger Pokemon, who just crossed his arms and spat out a small ball of flames at the ground. Oh, yes, these two would get along greatly.

"Hold it, you two!" Ash told his two Pokemon, "Greninja, don't worry about Charizard, that's just his way of saying hello." He told the Water/Dark type before turning to Charizard, "And Charizard, you be nice to Greninja. You two will be my main team for my battles in the Colosseum, all the way up to beating the pants off of Lovrina, got it?"

Charizard just grinned and snorted out smoke through his nose. Greninja just gave him a nod, his eyes closed, reminding him of Brock a little. "Alright, guys, this is gonna be a rough training period." He told his two powerhouses. "Both of you are great in battle alone, but together in these Double Battles, you two could easily be unstoppable. I want us working on combining your moves into one, like Tucker did to me in the Battle Frontier." Charizard nodded his head, understanding as he had heard about the battle through Swellow and Corphish.

Greninja cocked his head, not knowing how it was done. Ash patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry, we'll move through it step by step." He told the Ninja Pokemon, grinning as his old inner fire began to roar, "Now, let's get started."

Meanwhile, Willy was crawling out of bed late that morning. Why, because the day before had been both lousy, and fantastic all at once and it was way too much for a scrounger like himself to take without passing out for about twelve to thirteen hours. His house, if you could call it that, was a little shack just above the town on the cliffs overlooking the desert. It wasn't the best place, but at least it was free.

When he looked outside it was to see his new Tauros posturing in front of the twins (his Linoone), and the two Pokemon marveling at the larger Pokemon's strength.

He pulled on a clean-ish shirt and strode outside to the basin that collected his water from the morning dew, and scrubbed his face. He noticed that the sun wasn't yet too high, meaning he hadn't slept as long as he'd hoped, but he supposed that was a good thing. More daylight meant more money to make.

Suddenly, his attention was caught by a large explosion at the edge of town, rocking him on his feet. "Don't tell me those damned Onix are banging on the walls again?" He sighed, turning toward the explosion's source...only to see a massive whirlwind of Water and Fire swirling around where the noise had come from! "What the- !?"

He recalled his Pokemon and hurried down the slopes where some of the other towns people were coming awake because of the noise. He wasn't the only one, however, because Lovrina's little spy was also attracted by the noise as he was on his way to "invite" a certain someone to "tea".

Willy paid him no mind because he'd see Folly around a lot, and knew the little shrimp of a man had little to no spine when it came to anything. He'd lost his Pokemon to stronger trainers, and now he just ran around doing the brat's dirty work for whatever she felt like paying him.

Another whirlwind went up, this one more controlled than the last. The flames and water seemed to e connected, yet did not touch, swirling around in rings of pure, raw power, sparks of energy shooting between them.

A crowd had gathered at the edge of town where he found Serena and the rest of Ash's friends staring in awe, for who should be at the center of the whirlwind but Ash himself, directing two large Pokemon as the moved about in sync. One was his Charizard, the large Fire/Flying type whipping in and out of the whirlwind as he manipulated his flames.

The other was a Pokemon Willy had never seen before, but it was obviously a Water type judging by the bubbles coming from its mouth.

"Greninja, keep your focus on Water Pulse up," Ash said, "You're doing better. Just don't lose that focus. Just like when you change, remember?"

The now named Greninja nodded as it focused more on the vortex.

"Good," Ash grinned, "You're getting it! Now bring it together!"

With a massive beat of his wings, Charizard bared down on the whirlwind, roaring loudly with all of his might and a thin red aura appeared around him. Greninja was doing the same, almost as if they were using their special abilities at will. But it was neither Blaze or Torrent, it was their own power over their moves as the two different elements came together, colliding in a shower of energy that rained down all around them as the two Pokemon alighted beside their trainer.

"Just like when he competed in Contests," he heard Delia say, and saw the woman smiling as she watched the display, "It's beautiful."

Serena, holding onto her egg as tight as she dared, was enthralled by the scene before her. She'd seen Ash battle before, but she'd never seen anything like this. It was almost like a Pokemon Showcase! But this had nothing to do with showing off how well the trainer and Pokemon looked together. It was like both Pokemon were as one as their moves combined to create something new. It showed off not only their raw power, but also just how...breathtakingly beautiful they were when they used these moves.

"Again!" Ash yelled, and both Pokemon were off like a shot. Charizard shot into the air, flipping around as his mouth roared with flames while Greninja ran along the ground in front of the powerful Fire/Flying type.

"Now, Fire Spin and Hydro Pump!" Ash yelled.

Going low, Charizard flew alongside the Water/Dark type. Greninja was the first to move, unwinding his tongue from his face, and spewing a great fountain of water from his mouth as Charizard unleashed his Fire Spin. The flames spun around Greninja for a brief moment before following the flow of Hydro Pump. Red sparks of energy began to connect the two attacks, joining them into one powerful move as it shot into the desert, and exploded into the sand.

The damage caused a massive cloud of sand to rise up, making Ash smile in satisfaction. "Alright, that's enough." Ash grinned as the pair came back to his side, "Good work, both of you."

The crowd started applauding as Ash and his Pokemon finished their workout, startling the trainer. Serena came pushing through the crowd, Pikachu on her shoulder, and gave him a one-armed hug, "That was amazing!" She told the boy, "Where did you learn how to do that?"

Ash just grinned and returned that hug, careful of the egg, while Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder, sparking at him in agitation for being left out of training. "I went up against a trainer called Dome Ace Tucker. He was a real show off, and really knew how to use his Pokemon's abilities to make his battles look amazing." He said, remembering the flamboyant Frontier Brain.

Serena giggled before giving him a mock pout, "Why didn't you wake me if you were coming out to train so early?" She asked, feigning anger for all of two seconds before Ash's lips pressed against her forehead, causing her face to light up like a Litwick. "Ash! Not in front of everyone!" She squeaked as a few hoots, whistles and cat calls were thrown their way. Serena hid her face in his shoulder while he and Pikachu laughed at her. "This is so embarrassing!"

Charizard gave the strange girl a sniff before recognizing his own trainer's scent mixed heavily with hers, and licked her face, causing her to giggle. Ash grumbled, "Hey, how come you burn me, but you're nice to her?"

Charizard just rumbled out a laugh as he spat a fire ball at him, which Greninja quickly put out before it could reach him. The two Pokemon glared at each other. Apparently their show of affection for their trainer was going to be an issue between them.

Ash chuckled at the pair's antics, "Alright you two, that's enough. Return!" Ash laughed as the pair went back into their balls. He then turned his attention back to the girl beside him, "And what's so embarrassing about a kiss on the forehead?" He grinned, reaching an arm around her shoulders, "It's not like it was that bad, right?"

Serena pouted for real now, "Well, no, but it's still embarrassing for people to see us doing that, or - " She gave a startled squeal as Ash swooped down and captured her lips. Rather than be embarrassed this time, she sighed and enjoyed the feel of his warm lips against hers, her own lips parting as he drew away.

Ash smiled and led her back toward the town, "Now what was that you were saying?"

Serena glared at him lightly, "I'll get you for that."

"I can't wait," Ash laughed, joined by Pikachu making gestures by hugging himself and making kissy faces while they made their way back to the group. "Hey, Willy, when is the next tournament, anyway?"

Willy shrugged, "It happens about every other day." He said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder, "We missed it yesterday, but the next one should start up tomorrow around noon. Lovrina like to keep things punctual."

"That sounds perfect to me," Ash said, "It'll give me some extra time to get a few other things done before I take Lovrina on." He said as they headed back to the hotel, "I need to make a phone call, and see if I can fix this region's Pokeball problem."

Willy looked at him in confusion, "What are you gonna do? Call a Pokeball factory?"

Ash just grinned cheekily at him, "I know someone that owns a factory," he said, smiling as Willy's jaw dropped, "But I figured I'd call someone closer."

Tracey looked at his friend, "Are you talking about Kurt? The Pokeball smith?"

"Uh-huh," Ash nodded, "As much as I think normal Pokeballs would be needed, it'd take them too long to get here from Kurt lives in Johto, and can probably ship us some premium Pokeballs that are better than factory made balls any day of the weak."

"Never heard of him," Willy said, scratching the back of his neck, "But if he can get us some Pokeballs, then I'll be the guy's best friend."

Ash would have commented, but someone tapped him on the shoulder. He found a skinny man standing there, his eyes cast down. "Scuse me, but I was told to invite you to tea with Miss Lovrina." He said, his eyes on the raven-haired teen only, "She would very much like to meet you, sir."

Ash gave the man a slight look while his mother gave him a full on glare. "And what about my friends, family, or my girlfriend?" He asked, not trusting the man anymore than his mother.

"Folly, what the hell are you trying to pull?" Willy asked, his hands on his hips, "Lovrina only ever invits anyone up to her pad for one things, and I'll tell ya right now he won't be interested."

Folly glared at the man, "I wasn't talking to you, poacher. The boss only asked me to give the guy the invite."

Delia placed her hands on her hips, "Well, you can tell this Lovrina that my son is not only not interested, but taken," she glared, "Now scram before I set my Mr. Mime on you!"

Folly looked at Ash one last time before the young man shook his head, "I'm not going. But you can tell her I'll see her in the ring, really soon."

Folly looked down, "Um, look, pal, I know you've got your sights set on beating her, but ya might wanna take her up on her offer." He said, "I mean if you insult her, that's the end of it. You disappear. Get it?"

"Got it," Ash frowned, "But you better get this. I'm not easy to get rid of. I'll see her in the ring, and then I'll kick her ass out of this town."

Folly sighed, defeated, "Your funeral, kid...still, you might have a chance if her goons don't drag you off first." He looked at Willy, "Good luck, Willy, you're gonna need it with this one." And with that, he left them, Ash staring after him in annoyance.

"How rotten is this town?" He asked of no one in particular.

"About as bad as it can get, kid," Willy said, scratching the back of his head, "But that being said, you outta come up to my shack tonight for sure." He looked after the retreating man, "Folly wasn't joking when he said she'd send guys after you, and they'll get rough with you, too before dumping your ass in the desert with the Onix and Steelix."

"We'll do that," Ash nodded, "But right now, I need to make those calls." He said, smiling viciously, "I think it's time to call in some cavalry."

=x=

"HE SAID WHAT?!" A vase came flying toward Folly as the man yelped and ducked out of the line of fire. "HOW DARE HE!? HOW DARE HE INSULT ME LIKE THAT!"

Folly peeked out from behind a closet door, "I tried to tell him, Miss, but he wouldn't listen to me." He explained, ducking another thrown object. "I mean, I saw the girl he was with, but she's nothing compared to you!" He yelled, hoping to calm her down. "The guy must not have any taste women at all."

Folly silently admitted, however, that he had excellent taste in women, but stroking Lovrina's ego was more important that right now.

Lovrina growled, her face contorted with rage, and stomped over to him, taking him by the front of his shirt. "I want him gone, Folly. Got it? Gone like yesterday! As it right now!" She roared, "Do you understand?!"

"B-b-b-but, Miss, he - "

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

"Right!" Folly yelped, tearing out of her grasp, and bumbling for the door, "I'll get the boys right on it, Miss Lovrina! You'll never have to hear about that guy again, I promise!"

Lovrina growled once more and crossed her arms, "Good. That's one less tasteless idiot I have to deal with," she said, then began to smile, "I'll have to ask Folly to introduce me to that girlfriend of his. I can't wait to rub it in her face after he's gone!" She went over to her bed and fell flat on her back, "If anything, I can have a little fun with her." She said to herself, licking her lips, "I'll make the little bitch _scream_."

=x=

"Well, Drake, do you think you an find her?" Ash asked the blond man on the video phone, "It's really important that we have at least one Pokemon Center around her, and she's the only Joy I know that travels over seas."

Drake chuckled, "Ash, you just hit the jackpot. That Joy is really famous right now, and she's finally looking to settle. Fact of the matter is, she's been looking for a place like Orre. I'll give her a ring and have her paddle on over."

Ash beamed, "That's great, I really appreciate this!"

Drake shrugged, "Don't worry about it, Ash, besides, things have been getting dull around here lately. No one's challenging our Gyms anymore, we're all getting rust on our Pokeballs!"

Ash thought for a moment, "Hey, aren't the Orange Islands close to here?" He asked, gaining a nod from his friend, "Why don't you guys jump ship? I mean, Orre's a really rough place, and Professor Krane needs all the help he can get. How about it?"

Drake looked a little skeptical, "I don't know, Ash, I mean I get what you're saying, but packing everything and moving to a new region?" He shook his head, "I'd have to run it by the rest of the crew before I let you know anything."

Ash nodded, "I understand. I can deal with things over here on my own until you make a decision, but I hope you guys will do this. I may be the champ over there, but this place really needs people like you, and even Rudy."

"Don't get me started on that love sick clown," Drake barked out a laugh, "You know he's been pinning away over Misty since she left? The guy's got it bad for the that little babe."

Ash laughed at that, "You know, if it helps, she's looking for a boyfriend right now."

"I am so not telling him that," Drake laughed, "I'd never see him again if I did. He'd run all the way to Cerulean City to propose!"

The two men shared a laugh at their friends' expense for a moment before Ash hung up the phone, hoping the Orange Crew would help out since things were slow.

Now all he had to do was get a hold of Kurt. As he dialed the number Pikachu sparked at him, trying to get his attention. The teen looked over his shoulder, and spotted someone hiding behind a corner. "Go get him." He smirked to his partner, who grinned and bounded off. A moment later there was a huge flash of electricity as a man's pained yelp sounded.

He grinned as the phone screen flashed, "Kurt's Apricorn and Pokeball shop, this Ku- Ash!" Kurt himself answered with a grin, "Boy is it good to see you, kid. It's been ages!"

"It sure has, Kurt, but I'm afraid I didn't call to catch up," Ash sighed, "I need a big favor. I'm over in Orre, and it's almost impossible to get Pokeballs out here, so the people have to catch their Pokemon by hand until they can scrounge one up to catch it properly. Think you get a big order ready?"

Kurt gave him a predatory grin, "Ash, you just made my day. As a matter of fact, I'm starting to pack up my business for new region. And a place that doesn't have Pokeballs? Ha! I'm gonna be rich as a king!"

Ash grimaced, "Kurt, I gotta warn you. This place is dangerous. I'm already being targeted by a bunch of thugs because I turned down some crazy girl."

"Duly noted, Ash," Kurt grinned, "But I know all about that little slice of hell. And you don't need to worry about me. I've got my Slowpoke, Slowbro, and Slowking to keep me out of trouble." He said as Pikachu appeared on Ash's shoulder once again, looking smug, and satisfied with his work. "Good news, too, I've had so much time on my hands, I've got a whole cargo of my specialties ready to use. Where am I headed?"

"Pyrite Town," Ash smiled, his eyes gleaming, "And the sooner you get here, the better, cause I'm hell bent on cleaning this place up for good!"

"Glad to hear that," Kurt smiled, "I'll bring along some apricorn saplings to plant, and get things going, in the mean time, stay outta trouble if you can, Ash, people go missing in Orre."

Ash looked back over his shoulder at the smoking figure on the ground, "Yeah, don't I know it?"

"See you soon, then, kid," Kurt said, and cut the feed.

Ash sighed, and looked at his partner, "Let's head back, okay?"

"Pi pikachu," Pikachu squeaked, and bounded off ahead of him. Ash laughed and followed after him...and felt a sharp blow to the back of his head as everything went dark.

* * *

 _ **Oh, come on, you guys know me! I do lots of Cliffies! Haha!**_

 _ **Don't forget to review!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Pyrite Town Arc**_

 **6: Colosseum Queen**

* * *

The port was quiet as the ship prepared to leave, the five friends dreading what was to come. But none more so than the two teens standing by the pier. The wind was blowing a gentle breeze, bringing with it the scent of distant lands known and unknown to the pair. Through the trial and tribulations they had faced, this was by far the hardest.

Serena, her shortened hair hanging down slightly over her downcast eyes, wanted so much to say the words she'd longed to for the last eleven years to the raven-haired young man standing in front of her, his Pikachu sitting by his angles instead of his usual perch on his shoulder.

It was all over. His journey through Kalos was done, and had left him drained beyond anything he'd ever felt. The Kalos League was well behind him, as well was the idea of taking on another region. No, not this time, he thought as he gazed out at sea. It wasn't that he was giving up on his dream of being a Pokemon Master, but he felt that he needed the rest.

And there was something else that was nagging him. A feeling that burned in his chest every time he looked, or even thought about the girl beside him. How far had they come? Did it matter? Ash had finished in the top two in the league, while Serena had actually competed against the Kalos Queen herself, both of them coming so close, yet so far were they from what they wanted.

No, Ash didn't want to travel to a new region yet, but he didn't want to leave behind the one person that had come to mean the world to him.

It was in the final confrontation between the two Zygarde that had brought this feelings to the surface in Ash's heart. He had nearly been killed, and so had she, right in front of him no less while saving his life.

But how to tell her?

"Pika," Pikachu chirped sadly as he bounded up to Serena's shoulders, and rubbed her cheek with his affectionately. Serena smiled at the little Pokemon, petting him slowly. She would miss the cheeky little rascal. She raised her eyes to his trainer, and found his eyes on her, the strange combination of amber, mixed with just a hint of blue swirling in a myriad of emotions.

"So," the girl said, keeping her hand on Pikachu's fur, the soft feeling giving her a form of comfort. "I guess this is it, isn't it?"

Ash nodded, "Yeah, I guess it is." The young man sighed, turning back to the ship, "You...you should come and visit some time." He said, trying to gain a small amount of confidence, "I mean, Kanto may not have the Pokemon Showcases, but there's the Kanto Pokemon Contests, you'd be really great at those, I think."

Serena's cheeks gained a slight pinkish hue, "You really think so?" She asked.

Ash's smile was gentle and sincere, "I know so. Matter of fact, I bet you could win the whole thing, and come back to knock Aria right off of her throne," Ash said, gaining a bit of passion in his voice, "We could - "

"Last call for Hoenn," a shipmate yelled, "Last call for Hoenn!"

Serena swallowed thickly, "W-well, you'd better go," she said, and picked Pikachu off of her shoulder, and placed him in Ash's arms, the little Pokemon looking up at her sadly. "Wouldn't want you to miss your boat, right?"

"Serena," Grace whispered from behind the pair.

Ash wordless turned and made his way up the ramp slowly.

Bonnie looked up at her brother, "Clemont, is this okay?" She asked, "Aren't they each other's keepers?"

Clemont said nothing as his glasses gleamed in the early morning light.

Ash board the ship, the ramp being pulled up behind him. Serena gave him a small wave as her eyes began to well with tears.

His back turned, Ash ground his teeth as Pikachu crawled up to his shoulder. As the whistle of the ship blew he turned about just as the ship began to move.

"Serena!" Ash called out, holding out his arm as the girl stared at him, "Let's go!"

The girl beamed as her tears fell freely while her legs moved on their own, carrying her rapidly toward the departing ship. She heard Clemont yelling at her, but she didn't care as she lept from the pier, reaching out for his hand with her own.

Her hand clasped with his as he pulled her on board and into his arms. Serena looked up at him, her eyes still streaming tears of joy as she stretched out on her toes to close the small distance that remained between them...

...and found herself coming awake in the hotel room in Pyrite Town, her egg held tightly against her chest. She reached up to touch her face, feeling moister on her fingers as she drew them away.

"Ash didn't come back," she whispered.

"Pika?" Pikachu cooed slightly as he came out from under the covers, looking at her sadly.

She raised up out of bed, reaching one hand down to pet him, "It's not your fault, Pikachu," she told him, "He...he knows what he's doing, I promise."

"Chuuu..." the little Mouse's ears drooped low.

Serena's egg moved in her arms, the little one inside becoming restless, and showing it's eagerness to hatch. The girl smiled and stroked the egg, "You're ready to be born, aren't you?" She asked it, smiling, "I know I'm ready to meet you, and so is the wonderful boy that gave you to me." She said, the little Pokemon inside calming down.

There came a knock to her door as she began to get ready for the day, "Serena, dear?" Delia's voice said quietly through the door, "May I come in?"

"Of course," Serena said as she let the egg down on the mattress while she dressed. She was just pulling on a pair of blue jeans as the woman came in and grabbed an exotic looking orange top before pulling it over her head.

Delia entered the room, looking around in hopes of seeing her son. "I see...he's really not back yet?"

Serena shook her head, sitting on the bed, "No, Pikachu would've let me know if he had." She said, looking at the older woman, "Have you heard anything from Willy?"

Delia frowned, "No, and he's been looking for him since he disappeared last night." She sighed, "If only we'd stayed together, this wouldn't have happened...I knew that it was a horrible idea coming here!" She snapped, tears springing to her eyes. "Now, my son...my baby..."

Serena reached out a comforting hand to her while Pikachu hopped into her lap, and up to her shoulder, nuzzling her to comfort her. "Delia, it's going to be alright." Serena said, biting her lips, "I mean, this is Ash we're talking about. He's gotten in and out of more scrapes than most people twice his age get into, right?"

Delia grit her teeth, "My husband and I both agreed that Orre was the one region Ash would never go to should he become a trainer." She told the young woman, "I knew that my husband had to do horrible things to survive here, and neither of us wanted Ash anywhere near it. But look what I've done...I came here with him so that I could at least try to protect him, but now he's gone..."

"No he's not," Serena asserted, scowling, "He's out there, somewhere, fighting to get back to us, and we need to be able to do something for him!" She said with her fist raised, "Lovrina only got rid of him because she was scared of what he and his Pokemon could do together! And now it's up to us until he gets back!"

Serena rose up from the bed. "I'm going to enter that tournament for him!" She declared, looking at Delia, "And then I'll show Lovrina what a real Pokemon trainer can do!" She said, smiling as Delia nodded, smiling at the girl.

She rose up and hugged the girl tightly, careful of her egg, which had begun to squirm again, "When Ash comes back, you take care of him, Serena," she told her, smiling still, "Just like I did for my darling husband, never leave his side...and never let go of what you feel for him."

The egg in Serena's grasp began to glow faintly as an icy mist started exuding from the shell. "I won't," Serena said, not noticing the oddity, even as there was the sound of something scratching faintly against the inner shell. "I waited eleven years to see him again, and I'm not going to lose him like this," a tiny crack appeared on the egg, "We belong together." The egg shone brightly, startling the two women as a loud crack sounded through the room, fragments of egg shell falling away from the light as it began to die down.

"Pix?"

Serena gasped as a tiny body nestled into her arms. The Vulpix was almost completely pure white save for the tails, and tuft of fur at the top of its head, as they were pale blue, just as the eyes were as they gazed up at the young woman in adoration.

"Oh," the girl cooed as she brought the infant closer to her face and kissed her on the head, "Look at you! You're so cute, Pixie!"

Delia giggled, momentarily forgetting her worries as she watched the mother/child bond forming between the young trainer and the newborn. "You've already given it a name?"

Serena giggled as well when Pixie licked her cheek, "Well, it just sort of seemed like the right name?"

"Pix...Xie?" Vulpix said, surprising her trainer, "Pixie?"

"Did she just...say the name you gave her?" Delia stuttered, smiling, "I knew Vulpix were smart, but this is amazing!"

"Pixie!" Vulpix cooed and scampered up to Serena's shoulder where she sat, rubbing against her face.

Serena smiled and tickled her under the chin, "You're such a smart girl," she told the newborn, "I just wish Ash could've seen you be born."

As the girl and her new Pokemon bonded, the sound of a loud scuffle came from outside, making Delia frown. "What's going on out there?"

Not a moment later the door pushed open and Willy, Tracey, and Professor Oak bumbled in with Folly locked in their grasp. "Get in there, ya creep!" Willy growled, kicking Folly into the room, forcing him to the floor between the two women.

"You!" Delia snapped, her hands on her hips in a scowl, "What did you do with my boy!?"

"GAH!" Folly scrambled to his feet, and backpedaled against the wall, "Willy, I'm telling ya, this ain't what it looks like! I wasn't - "

"SAVE IT!" Willy roared, reaching out to grab the man by the front of his shirt, "You know as well as I do that Lovrina don't give a shit about anyone in this whole fucking region except herself, and that damned mentor of hers. They're both bitches, and you just carted off the only person that could turn this region around!" Willy yelled, thrusting him against the wall. "Now where did you take him!"

"I don't - "

"Don't say you don't know!" Tracey snapped, holding up a familiar belt and small machine, "We caught you with Ash's Pokeballs and Pokedex! You left him defenseless! Without a Pokedex, he can't call for any Pokemon to help him!"

"That's what that thing does?!" Folly asked loudly, wincing, "I only took those things to give to the girl, there," he said, pointing toward Serena, "It's better than letting the others fight over'em, else they'd have been sold to the highest bidder by now!"

"As if they'd listen to anyone else," Serena said, glaring at the man, Pixie growling at him from her shoulder, "Now, where is Ash? Is he alright?"

Folly gulped as Willy snarled at him, "I...took out last night. Hioboy was gonna do it, but he got zapped by that Pikachu of his. So I clubbed him over the head, and took him toward Agate Village...sixty miles into the desert."

"You what?!" Willy roared, and hurled him against the opposite wall, "Are you out of your mind?! That area's full of quicksand! He'll never make it to Agate!"

"He will!" Folly shouted back, "I made sure to drop him on the other side!"

"Then if the desert doesn't kill him the Onix and Steelix will!" Willy yelled.

Pikachu, who had been quietly watching for the entire exchange, sparked angrily at the man, threatening him with a vicious Thunderbolt. Delia saw this and picked the little Mouse up, "Don't do anything, yet," she told him, petting him to calm him.

Willy ground his teeth audibly, looking to the young woman holding the little Vulpix, then to the older woman, "I ought to let them do what they want with you, Folly," he told the man, "But the fact of the matter is that if I did, I'd be no better than the pricks running this rotten place!" He knelt in front of the man, staring him straight in the eyes, "Now, tell me where he is, so I can go get him."

Folly grimaced, and sighed, "I took him to just the other side of the sand pits, you know, where you and I used to find all of those Watmel and Custap berries?" He said, surprising the man, "Yeah, I know, surprising, huh? I figured if he had those, then at least he would have enough food to make it the walk he'd have to Agate?"

Willy cast his eyes down, nodding, "I remember." He looked up at the others, "It'll take me about an hour to get there. You guys stay here, and do what you can with the tournament. If Lovrina thinks this is over, then she's got another thing coming!"

"We'll both go," Samuel stepped forward, smiling at the young man, and held up a Pokemon, "My Dragonite is almost as fast as Ash's Charizard in flight, so we'll get there in half the time."

"Serena," Delia said, smiling at the girl as hope began to blossom in her chest, "You should use Ash's Pokemon. I think he'd like that."

Serena shook her head, "I can't always rely on him," she said, smiling right back at her, "I need to stand on my own feet, and I'll do just that when I face Lovrina in the Coloseum!"

=x=

The heat of the sun and the throbbing pain in the back of his head was what woke him. His mouth was incredibly dry, and his skin felt like he had just been blasted by each and every one of his Fire types all at once. Beneath him he felt the heat of the shifting sands, his eyes coming open slowly as he blinked away the few grains that and blown into them.

Stiffly he lifted himself to his knees, shaking his head to clear the dizziness he felt, only to stumble back to the ground as he tried to get his feet under him. He found himself surrounded by massive sand dunes, and withered plant life that had gone too long without water.

Ash growled as he lifted to his feet, "That little brat!" He started climbing up the nearest sand dune to get his bearings. "When I get my hands on her, I'm gonna give her the spanking of a lifetime after I kick her ass out of that damned Colesseum! I'll let Muk use her as a teddy bear! I'll have Snorlax use her as a pillow!" He snapped and scrambled over the top of the dune, nearly tumbling down the other side before sinking back to his knees, weakened by his head injury.

What he found, however, made him smile in relief.

Down in the below the dune was a small patch of green, the scent of water reaching his nose in the arid wind blowing across the dunes. He stumbled and fell down the dunes as fast as his could in his condition, sliding the rest of the way until his feet touched grass. He rolled back to his feet, and made for the first pool of water that was in view, diving his hands in and bringing it to his mouth.

The water, filtered by the sand, and shielded by the trees, was cool and clean. Ash drank deeply, before a horrible thought occurred to him. He reached for his belt, and found it gone. No one Pokeball left. "Dammit!" He reached for his pocket, but also found his Pokedex gone as well. "Shit!"

He fell flat on his back, his eyes clenched shut, "How could I let this happen?!" He growled to himself. "Mom was right, this region's rotten to the core!" He lept back to his feet, and sighed, "Now what am I supposed to do?" He wondered, looking around. The oasis was ripe with berries, of the best kind for that matter. He could easily live off of them for a few days until he was found, or decided to move on, but the very idea that Lovrina had gotten a hold of three of his best Pokemon set his teeth on edge. "I've got to get back."

A growl from his stomach, however, told him otherwise. Grumbling to himself, he moved to a nearby tree and reached for the lowest hanging branch, swinging himself up so he could reach the Custap berries hanging there. Custap berries were as tough as Tyranitar hide on the outside, but sweet and creamy on the inside, if you could only get them open.

Thankfully, Ash had learned a trick to doing so without using a blade to pry the skin open. He pushed both thumbs into the top of the fruit, and pulled it right in half. Tough as they were, they were soft near the stem, and easily opened once a hole was made.

Ash ate his fill of the delicious fruits. It took several of the berries to sate his hunger, but once he'd had enough, he felt back to full strength, and ready for whatever the desert threw at him.

As he was about to jump down, he noticed something at the base of the tree he was in. There was a Trapinch milling around the peelings he'd dropped, looking for any scraps he'd left behind. Smiling, Ash picked several more of the fruits until he had a sizable armful, and dropped back to the ground next to the little Ground type.

Trapinch regarded him warily until he unloaded his arms, letting them spill onto the ground in front of it. Looking up at the trainer, it only took a moment as Ash gave it a friendly smile before it started chomping on the bounty, skin and all, as Trapinch's powerful jaws crushed the fruit.

Ash chuckled, "There you go." He stood up and dusted himself off, "Well, time for me to go."

Trapinch, finishing the berries quickly, watched as the trainer went back the way he came, and scuttled after him, "Pinch trap pin pinch!" It chomped on his pants leg and tugged him in the other direction.

Ash looked down at the little Pokemon, "What? Don't go this way?"

"Pinch!" Trapinch nodded, and burrowed into the ground, making a small sandpit. "Pin trapinch pinch!"

Ash took a moment to work out what it was trying to tell him before something clicked, "Are there sinkholes out there?"

"Trap!" Trapinch said as it popped out of its pit, nodding.

Ash knelt and scratched it under its chin, "Thanks for that. I'd probably have walked right into it." He told the little Pokemon, "Think you can show me to the closest town?"

"Pinch," Trapinch scuttled up his arm and settled on his shoulder, "Trap."

Ash chuckled, "Alright, little guy, lead the way."

Trapinch hopped back to the ground and started scuttling away, forcing Ashe to jog after it.

As the oasis turned to desert again, Ash felt the pain in his sunburn double as the sun beat down on him. Trapinch kept a steady pace while Ash easliy kept up with it, and but the young man was relieved when he saw that there was a mountain range not far from where he'd woken up, and it looked like there were houses there!

Ash picked up the pace and started to run, scooping up Trapinch as he went, much to the little Pokemon surprise, and placed him on his shoulder, "Come on, Trapinch, it's just a little further!"

"Pinch!"

The village looked close now, and he could easily smell the greenery there. If he kept running, he'd make it in no time!

His foot came down a rock buried in the sand, and the ground erupted, sending both trainer and Pokemon into the air. A massive roar shook their air as Ash tumbled through the air, and came down, landing on his feet. Trapinch cried out as it sailed through the air as Ash reached out to catch it. They were showered with sand as the massive form of a Steelix rose up out of the sand, his diamond hide glistening in the sunlight. And it was glaring right down at Ash!

"Shit!" Ash lept to his feet and slid down the other side of a sand dune as the Steelix slammed into the ground, burrowing after them. "Geeze, what's your deal with humans!?" He roared as the Iron Snake roared after him.

Trapinch growled and squirmed out of his grip, heading straight for the gigantic Pokemon. "What? No, don't!"

But Trapinch just gave out a small roar before its form glowed red, and shot toward the Steelix head on in a giant leap, a stream of red energy trailing behind it. The tiny ground type slammed into the Steelix...and knocked it flat!

Steelix was sent tumbling backward, head over tail, as Trapinch landed and scuttled right back to a stupiffied Ash. The raven-haired teen looked down at the little Ground type, "Whoa, that's some serious fire power, little guy."

"Pin!" Trapinch said in agitation.

"Oops, sorry, girl," Ash said, bashfully, before a rumbling came to his ears, "Crap, here it comes again!" He snatched up Trapinch, and scrambled up the next dune as Steelix roared out of the sand behind him.

But Trapinch started squirming again, raring for a fight. Ash stopped and looked back at the advancing Steelix, seeing that it was no where near as big as the one that had chased them two days ago, this one being around fifty feet long, and reached for the inner pocket inside his jacket, hoping he still had his empty Pokeballs.

He grinned when his fingers touched one. "Alright, Trapinch, let's do this!"

"Trapinch!" Trapinch snapped her jaws loudly in agreement.

"Alright, let's hit it with Superpower!" Ash called out, and Trapinch shot forward again with a blazing trail behind her. Steelix roared, and charged forward, its body glowing. Heavy Slam met Superpower in a titanic clash. Ash winced, knowing that that move would do massive damage to a small Pokemon like Trapinch. Fortunately, Trapinch had not only survived the attack, but hit her target, sending Steelix rolling once again.

Ash was confused for a moment as to how that happened until he noticed a pit in the sand where Trapinch had been. "She used Sand Tomb to shield herself! Great work!" He yelled as Steelix roared furiously.

Steelix then let loose a powerful Dragonbreath attack. "Go under ground!" Ash called out, "Then come up and use Fissure!"

Trapinch dove under the sand, and burrowed toward the Steelix. Steelix saw it coming in the sand, and dove in to meet her. The two slammed into each other with a huge explosion of sand as a faint light shone from beneath the sand. Not a moment later, Steelix erupted from the ground, thrown backwards by a tiny missile shooting out of the sand.

Steelix landed heavily, shaking the ground as it landed, while its attack flew over it and buzzed back to Ash. "Brava!" Vibrava smiled at him as she landed on his back. Ash grinned before enlarging the Pokeball he held.

He threw it toward the KO'd Steelix, waiting for the ball to stop shaking so he could pick it up. After three full shakes, the ball stopped, and blinked. "Oh, yeah!" Ash grinned, rushing to pick up the ball, "Brock is totally gonna flip when he sees this one!"

"Brava! Vibrava va!" Vibrava tugged at his jacket.

"What?" Ash asked, smiling at his new friend, "You wanna stay with me, too?"

"Vi!" Vibrava nodded happily.

Ash grinned and plucked a second Pokeball from his jacket, "Alright, you got it. I really owe you one, too." He told the little Dragon/Ground type, "And I know you're gonna do great with me." He tapped the ball to her head, taking her inside. The red/white ball didn't even shake before it pinged. He grinned before placing both Pokeballs in his pocket, "Now, let's get to that village."

He continued walking on, a slight spring in his step at having a pair of new Pokemon, until he noticed a shadow passing over him.

=x=

Serena's opponent's last Pokemon fell to the ground as Braixen and Pancham stood over it victoriously. "And the winner of the finals is Serena from Kalos!" The referee shouted. "The next match will be between Serena, and Lady Lovrina for control of Pyrite. Trainers have five minutes to prepare for their battle."

Serena hurried to her two Pokemon, handing them each an Oran berry to get their energy back. "You're both doing so well!" She told them, smiling at them. "Ash would be so proud of you! I know I am." She said as her Pokemon ate, "Just one more match, and we've won it all. Lovrina will be gone!"

"Brai braixen!"

"Cham pan cham!" Both Pokemon grinned at her.

Serena giggled as she looked up in the stands where Delia and Tracey were sitting, her little Vulpix sitting in the older woman's lap, waving a paw at her while Delia was glaring daggers at some of the people, mostly males, around her. Apparently the sight of the woman decking a plucky male wasn't enough to deter their advances...of course, Tracey's Scyther and Delia's Mr. Mime were.

It wasn't even five minutes before Serena caught sight of a young pink-haired woman strutting toward the arena in high-heeled boots, and black tights. The rest of her outfit was white, which made Serena scoff.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the referee yelled, gaining jeers, and insults as he roared, "Shaddap ya bunch'o mooks!" He snapped, and coughed into his hand, "Ahem, ladies and gentlemen, it's my pleasure to announce the final match for control of Pyrite Town! In the red corner," he gestured to Serena, standing tall and proud with her Pokemon, "We have the Kalos Cutie, Serena! Undefeated throughout today's competition, she hasn't lost a single Pokemon!" There were cheers and whistles for Serena, and she couldn't help but give a small curtsy. "And in the blue corner, we have our very own, undefeated for two years, Colosseum Queen, Lady Lovrina!"

Lovrina smiled at the crowd, but it was more of a threat than any sort of appeal to the crowd as the cheers rose to a roar within the crowd.

"Kick her ass, Serena!" The younger girl heard someone yell.

"My money's on the Kalos Cutie!" Serena blushed at that one, and hoped the name wouldn't stick as she pulled her hat down over her eyes in embarrassment.

Lovrina heard them as well, and searched the crowd for whoever said it for all of a second before she turned a sneer toward the Kalos native. "So, you think you can beat me in a battle?" She said with a rise in her brow, her expression smug, "You don't look all that tough to me, considering you got all the way to me through the finals. Tell you what, though, forfeit now, and I'll got ahead and pay you the money you would've gotten for beating me on top of everything you've already gotten?"

Serena glared at her as Pancham growled and took the field. "Is that how you won all your battles? Talking your opponents to death until they left to get away from that annoying voice?"

The crowd started howling with laughter as Serena's insult was heard, and Lovrina stomped her foot in rage. She reached for her Pokeballs, "The last woman standing is the winner," she snapped across the way, drawing back for the throw, "Beautifly, take this little brat out!"

Serena didn't wait for the referee to start things off. As soon as the Bug type was out of its ball, the fight was on. "Pancham, Dark Pulse, double time!"

Pancham moved faster than she'd ever seen him go, and fired off the spirals of Dark energy. Lovrina scowled and shouted, "Dodge and bind it with String Shot!" Beautifly did as it was told, but not fast enought to avoid total damage as Dark Pulse sped by it, and clipped its left wing badly, sending the Bug type spiraling toward the ground. "Pull up, damn it!"

Beautifly pulled out of the spiral just in the nick of time, and fired String Shot at Pancham, only for Serena to smile, "Grab it and haul Beautifly right at you and use Arm Thrust!" Pancham grinned madly and grabbed the silk strings just as they passed him by and hauled back with all his might, pulling the shock Beautifly toward him at break-neck speeds.

"Get out of there!" Lovrina roared, too late, as Pancham closed the distance with a leap, and hammered strike after strike against her Pokemon. Right hook, left hook, center, uppercut, and finally, when Beautifly was sent skyward again, Pancham lept after it and used a double thrust to pile drive the Pokemon back to the ground.

Pancham lept away, his paws on his hips, very pleased with himself. Beautifly was, without a doubt, knocked unconcious by the barrage Pancham had laid into it with, and Serena couldn't have been prouder.

"Beautifly is unable to battle," the referee shouted, "The winner is Pancham!"

Lovrina looked ready to murder her as she returned her injured Pokemon, and reached for another, "Alright, no more Miss Nice Girl," she said, "You wanna play with the big kids, you better get ready to get hurt, baby girl!" She called out her next Pokemon, "Luvdisc, let's go!" She yelled, "Take Down!" Right out of the light of the Pokeball flew a pink heart-shaped Pokemon, and slammed into Pancham without mercy, knocking the poor Fighting type away. "Now, before it recovers, use Hydro Pump!"

Pancham was just getting to his knees when Luvdisc, faster than Serena could react, was right in front of him. "Quick, use Detect!" Pancham's eyes gleamed as everything seemed to slow down for him. As Luvdisc fired its attack, Pancham was able to get out of the way just in time, "Now, use Brick Break!" Serena called out.

"Luvdisc, give that little Pancham a Sweet Kiss," Lovrina smiled, "And then use Water Pulse!"

As Pancham charged, Serena was worried about the Luvdisc, "Break off from Brick Break, and roll behind it!" She yelled as Pancham closed the distance with Luvdisc zooming toward it, and rolled to the ground, skidding to halt as the Water type passed over. "Now use Bullet Punch!" From his vantage point behind it, Pancham launched into a flurry of punches, hammering the Luvdisc.

"Aqua Ring!" Lovrina shouted, and Luvdisc became engulfed in a sphere of water, "It's all over now, brat, no matter how many times you hit it, Aqua Ring will restore Luvdisc's health!"

Serena grit her teeth, "We'll see about that," she said, "Pancham, use Body Slam!" Pancham roared and hurtled across the ring, slamming into Luvdisc heavily for such a small body, and knocked it against the wall of the arena, "Now use Slash!" Now Pancham let loose a series of quick swipes with his claws.

"Push it off with Take Down and use Attract!" Lovrina shouted and watched as her Pokemon did exactly that as Luvdisc hammered into Pancham, and then sent a little wink toward him. Serena, her hopes that both were male, were dashed as little ring of hearts that came from Luvdisc's eyes, and struck Pancham.

Pancham staggered back as little hearts formed in his eyes.

Lovrina giggled, "Now finish it with Hydro Pump, full blast!"

"Luv!" Luvdisc launched her attack, hitting home as Pancham was blasted by the power stream of water, sending him tumbling back.

The referee checked Pancham before raising the blue flag, "Pancham is unable to battle, the winner is Luvdisc!"

Braixen stepped forward as Pancham was recalled, only to be stopped by Serena, "No, I need you for that Roserade of hers." She smiled at her Starter before holding up another ball, "Sylveon can handle this!"

A lot of the female spectators "ooohed" as Sylveon came out, her ribbons flowing. Lovrina included, as it was the first Fairy type she had ever seen.

"Sylveon vs. Luvdisc...begin!"

"Fairy Wind!" Serena called out, and a beautiful blast of silvery wind surrounded Sylveon, and rushed forward to hit Luvdisc, battering it back. "Now use Moonblast!"

"Take Down!" Lovrina yelled, and Luvdisc was off like a shot as the ball of energy formed in Sylveon's ribbons.

"Dodge and fire!" Serena yelled, and Sylveon danced out of the way, flitting left and right as Luvdisc tried to hit her before jumping up high, and unleashing her attack. Luvdisc was blown clear across the ring to lay at Lovrina's feet, her eyes swirling.

"Luvdisc is unable to battle, the winner is Serena and Sylveon!" The man called out with a roar of approval following him. Lovrina was shaking with fury as she pulled out her last Pokeball after returning her second Pokemon.

"Roserade," Lovrina said to the Pokemon as it came out, "Teach this bitch a lesson she'll never forget."

"Rose..." the Pokemon growled.

Serena gulped as the powerful Grass type glared at her Sylveon, "Sylveon, use Misty Terrain." She said as a pink mist emmited from Sylveon, covering the entire arena. "Now we can't suffer from Poison type moves."

"Doesn't mean I can't still hurt you," Lovrina smiled cruelly, "Roserade use Petal Blizzard!"

"Roseraaaaade!" Roserade spun on the spot, unleashing a storm of red and blue flower petals. Sylveon squealed and ducked as the blizzard came toward her.

Serena felt her heart rate go up just from the sheer volume of the attack, "Sylveon, don't panic, and use Dazzling Gleam to push it back!"

"Poison Jab!" The shout came from the other side of the blizzard, and Roserade launched itself from the storm, slamming into Sylveon before the poor Pokemon could get off a shot, and sent sprawling from the attack. The mist began to fade as Sylveon's weakness to Poison types hit her full force.

"Sylveon is unable to battle, the winner is Roserade!"

Lovrina smiled arrogantly as Petal Blizzard let up, showering the field with petals, "What did I tell you, little girl," she said, smiling, "This is the big leagues, so you need to bring your A-Game."

"Braixen!" The Fox Pokemon shouted and took the field, growling loudly as flames danced around her fur in anger. She was the big sister of her trainer's family, and there was no way she would let this person get away with hurting them!

"Final match, Braixen vs. Roserade...begin!"

"Leech Seed!" Lovrina yelled.

"Magic Coat!" Serena yelled.

Roserade, too late to stop its attack, launched the seeds toward the Fire type, only for a thin veil to cover her, and send the seeds right back as soon as they touched her.

"Blast them away with Seed Bomb!" Lovrina cried desperately, losing now not an option as Roserade fired off its attack, blowing its own attack away from it. Roserade was fine when the smoke cleared, and looked back at its trainer, "You know what to do...use Poison Sting, and try not to make it obvious."

"Rose." Roserade nodded. It shot forward, jabbing at Braixen, pushing her back, closer and closer to where her trainer was standing. When they were within a few feet, Roserade fired off a powerful volley of Poison Sting needles...right at Serena!

"Brai!" Braixen called out in warning as the needles shot toward her trainer, and shot toward her like a canon ball. Serena, a silent scream on her face, raised her arms to protect herself, prepared for the pain...only for the pained yell of Braixen to reach her ears. She moved her arms to see her loyal Pokemon standing protectively in front of her, purple sparks flying across her body.

"Oh, no!"

Lovrina cackled, "Roserade, Venoshock!"

Roserade spat a sticky purple liquid from its mouth, and drenched Braixen, the power doubling as the effects of Poison Sting hit her system. Braixen was brought to her knees.

"Braixen, no, please get up!" Serena pleaded desperately, "Please, if you can get up, then I need you to hold on just a little longer..." Braixen looked at her and smiled painfully, nodding. "Alright, try to get in close and use that new move Ash helped us learn, okay?"

Lovrina, missing the exchange between trainer and Pokemon, sneered as she saw Braixen try to get up, "Oh? You want more?" She smirked, "Alright then, Roserade, time for some punishment! Poison Jab!"

Roserade shot toward the injured Pokemon, but Serena and Braixen had already expected this as Braixen began to glow bright red. Lovrina recognized the move immediately and screamed at Roserade to stop its advance, but even as Roserade itself tried to avoid the inevitable, Braixen was too close to it to miss.

"Braixen, Overheat!" Serena shouted.

A great roaring torrent of flames shot from the Fire type's body, and washed over Roserade, blasting it back. "Push it back with Shadow Ball!" Lovrina roared, and the shadowy engery ball formed as Roserade tried to fend off the flames, but only served to seal its fate. The combined, unstable energies of Shadow Ball meeting the incredible power of Overheat brought forth a massive explosion that caught both Pokemon in it as smoke washed over the battle field.

"BRAIXEN!" Serena cried out, searching for any sign of her partner in the smoke.

The crowd waited with withheld breath as the smoke began to clear. Roserade appeared, down on the ground and unconscious. Now it was only a wait to see if the opposing Pokemon still stood. With two victories each, a tie was out of the question at this point. Finally, a large figure rose up from the smoke, regal and tall at nearly five feet, a new Delphox stood where Braixen once was.

Serena blinked back tears, "Delphox!"

"Roserade is unable to battle," the referee roared, "The winner, and new Colosseum Queen is...Serena of Kalos!"

The crowd roared deafeningly as Serena rushed to her newly evolved Pokemon, Pecha berry in hand, and hugged her tightly, "Delphox, I'm so proud of you!" She cried gleefully as Delphox took the berry from her, and ate it slowly, sighing in relief as the effects took hold, nullifying the poison in her system.

"Pika pi!"

"Pixie!" Two small voices caught the girl's attention as Pikachu and Pixie ran up to her and bounded to her shoulders, both congratulating her in their own ways as they nuzzled against her neck and cheeks.

Delia came through the crowd and hugged her tightly, while Tracey went to check Delphox. "I'm so proud of you, Serena!" Delia smiled at her, "Ash is going to be so happy!"

"I already am."

Serena stiffened and turned toward the source of that voice. There, standing at the edge of the arena, was her boyfriend. He was covered in bandages, and his skin, what she could see of it, was an angry red beneath, but he was alive...and he was back. "ASH!"

Ash vaulted over the divider as Serena rushed him, not even caring about his sunburns, and wrapped his arms around her, spinning the girl around and laughing happily as she clung to him. Pikachu bounded toward him and bounced onto his shoulder, tipping him over, while Pixie came and perched on his head, recognizing his voice from when she was in her egg.

Serena peppered his face with kisses, no caring who saw them, only that she was happy to have him back. "Don't you ever do that to me again!" She scowled at him, "You have no idea just how worried I was!"

Ash just grinned, "You try waking up in the middle of a desert with a hell of a sunburn, ow!" He winced as their position stretched his reddened skin painfully. Serena release him immediately, her hands fluttering uselessly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't - " She squeaked as Ash laughed and brought her back into his arms, kissing her deeply as Pikachu shooed Pixie away from the couple.

"Ahem," Delia interrupted, "As sweet as this all is, don't you two have something to take care of? Mainly you, Serena-dear, and your new Delphox?"

"Delphox del," Delphox said, trying to wave away the older woman's concern, happy that her trainer had her mate back.

Ash stood, helping Serena back to her feet, "She's right, and I have two new Pokemon I need looked at." Ash said, smiling down at his girlfriend as he held her against his side, "I've got so much to tell you."

"Me, too." Serena smiled tearfully as Pixie scampered up to her shoulder, barking at the young pair. "Hi, Pixie," she smiled, looking at Ash, "say hello to your papa."

Ash laughed as Pixie bounced onto his head playfully, and down to his shoulder to rub against his face, her chilled fur soothing his burns. "It's nice to meet you, too, Pixie. Welcome to the family."

"Pixie!"

* * *

 _ **Woo, sorry this took a little longer, but I couldn't find a good stopping point until now, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and are ready for some craziness about to happen, because Serena is now in charge of a rough and tumble town while Ash is trying to get a everything set up while recovering from a brief excursion in the blistering hot desert!**_

 _ **Orre Pokemon List:**_

 _ **Desert**_

 _ **Crystallized Onix -**_ _ **Daimon-hide Steelix**_

 _ **Trapinch - Vibrava - Flygon**_

 _ **Cacnea - Cacturne**_

 _ **Sandshrew - Sandslash**_

 _ **Aron - Lairon - Aggron**_

 _ **Nummel - Camerupt**_

 _ **Hippoptas - Hippowdon**_

 _ **Cave**_

 _ **Zubat - Golbat - Crobat**_

 _ **Wooper - Quagsire**_

 _ **Larvitar - Pupitar - Tyranitar**_

 _ **Mountain**_

 _ **Rufflet - Braviary**_

 _ **Vullaby - Mandibuzz**_

 _ **Skarmory**_

 _ **Sea**_

 _ **Magikarp -Gyarados**_

* * *

 _ **Don't forget to review!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Maerk Andrew: YES! Thank you! I was wondering when someone would mention the fact that Ash's eyes tend to flash blue when he's upset! Yes, he is using Aura unconsciously, and he is untrained, but that won't last.**_

 _ **To the Amourshipper Guest it could be any kind of shipping, I just love Romance!**_

 _ **ShadeDurza: Thank you for pointing that out, I went back and fixed it thank you.**_

 _ **WARNING: Chapter contains slightly mature content...heavy fluff and an aggrivated teen couple :p**_

 _ **Pyrite Town Arc**_

 _ **7:Pyrite on the Rise!**_

* * *

Ash laid flat on his stomach as a cool cream was applied to his blistered back. He was back in his room at the Pyrite hotel, with Serena applying the cream. "How are you feeling?" Serena asked worriedly as her fingers moved over the bumps on his back. "Does it still hurt?"

A small glance over his shoulder made him wince as he turned around, "A little, but I'll be fine a couple of days," he said, smiling at her, "How are things now that you're the big boss?"

Serena's cheeks gained a bit of color, "W-well, everyone seems to thing that since I beat Lovrina, I'm worse than she was," she sighed, finishing up his back, "Sit up so I can put the bandages on."

"Right," Ash said, sitting up as Serena reached for a roll, "But haven't you tried to talk to anyone?"

Serena sighed as Ash raised his arms stiffly for her start wrapping the gauze around him, "No, they all look at me like I have the next big plague." She said, making sure not to graze any of his blisters, "I hope these don't scar. It'd look horrible."

Ash chuckled, lowering his arms, and wrapping them around her. "Hey, don't worry."

"About you, or the fact that this town seems to think I'm a bigger witch that Lovrina was?" Serena giggled while leaning into his chest.

Ash shook his head, "Either one." He kissed the top of her head, "We'll figure this out. It's not like we have a time limit or anything."

"Speaking of figuring things out, where are Pikachu and Pixie?" Serena asked, not seeing the two bundles of energy. "I thought they were in here this morning?"

Ash chuckled, "Professor Oak's looking over Pixie because she's unique to the Vulpix/Ninetails species, and Pikachu's just babysitting. He's also running a few tests on that Steelix I caught yesterday."

Serena sighed, "I hope he doesn't hurt her. She's just a baby, after all."

"He wouldn't dare," Ash promised, smiling at her, "Besides, if he did, Pikachu would shock the hell out of him. Literally." He said, "Now stop worrying, Serena, because as far as this town goes, the worst is behind us. Now we just have to fix it up."

Serena gave him a sour look, "Ash, this place is built out of scrap metal, how in the world are we gonna fix it up?" She said, and saw his trade mark grin spreading over his face, "Ash?"

"Oh, I've already made a few calls," He said, smiling at the girl devilishly before sliding her into his lap, making her cheeks burst with color, "Now, you really need to stop worrying...you're starting to get wrinkles." He grinned.

"Wha - !" Serena squeaked, cupping her face, "Ash Ketchum, I do _not_ have wrinkles!" She smacked him on the chest, making him wince and fall back onto the bed, "Oh, no, I'm so, so sorry, Ash! Are you okay?!" She leaned over him as he laid there, only for him to open his eyes and grab her around the waist, and role over the top of her, Serena giving out a startled squeal as his lips came to rest on hers.

As she sighed into the kiss, it was only then that she realized the situation she as in. The thought brought a bright pink hue to her cheeks as she realized that she was not only alone in her bedroom with her boyfriend, but said boyfriend was already half-naked, thanks to his shirt being tossed aside because of his burns.

Not that Ash seemed to mind them, however, because his arms snaked around her, caressing her up and down her sides and back, making her shiver as she moaned from his touch. Her hands reached up to fist in his hair, and, growing bold in the moment, she let her her tongue slide out along his lips. It only took a moment for him to open his mouth so he could return the gesture.

Both thoroughly tasted each other as the hesitation in this new kiss was swept away. He noted that she tasted faintly of cinnamon, and just a hint of chocolate. Serena sighed beneath him, squirming slightly as his hands moved over her body. She took one hand from his hair to take one of his own to guide it to the hem of her shirt, letting him slide beneath it, arching against him as his hand glided under the the fabric against her skin. "Ash..." she sighed, breathing heavily.

His hands were hardened with calluses, a tribute to just how hard he worked at times. It was one of the things she loved most about him. Unlike her hands, which were still soft compared to his, rough, and hardened as they were, his were just as gentle as her own. She shuddered as his hands slowly moved up her body, the tips of his fingers tracing tantalizing lines beneath the lace of her bra.

Serena pushed him away from her for a moment, drawing a worried, confused look from him until she reached down and slowly, her face aflame, brought her shirt up over her head, and dropped it with his on the bed. As he stared down at her, stunned, she suddenly felt her shyness coming back full force, and crossed her arms over her chest and stomach.

"Beautiful." The boy breathed out, making Serena look up at him. His eyes were glazed over with something she'd never seen in them before that she couldn't place, but it made her feel...wanted. She reached for him, cupping his face between her hands as she brought him down to meet his lips. His arms wrapped tightly around her...and the door slammed open.

"Ash, we just - Yeow~!" Tracey yelled, and ducked right back out the door as Ash reached over and threw a lamp at him, "Sorry!"

"You're gonna be!" Ash roared, jumping up from the bed while a mortified Serena dove for her shirt, "Dammit, Tracey, wait 'til I get my hands on you! Don't you know how to knock!"

"I seriously didn't know!" Tracey yelled as the two young men tore down the hall, "Please forgive me, Ash!"

"HELL NO!"

Serena moaned and hid her face in the pillows, "How embarrassing...and we were so _close_!"

"Ash, watch out for that - "

CRASH

"Gah, my back!"

~Fwing~

One aching back, and a lot of frustration later found our hero still frustrated, but in a slightly better mood as he spoke over the phone, "So when can you get here?" Ash asked, smiling at the five people on the screen.

Drake grinned at him, "We need to pack everything up before we get there, so it'll be a week before we start moving across the waters, Ash, but the Orange Crew is heading toward Orre. It's honestly not that far off our territory, matter of fact, if we hit Orre, Mr. Goodshow might actually make us an official League with you as the champion."

"You think?" Ash grinned.

"Don't get cocky, Kiddo," Sissy smirking, leaning heavily over Drake's shoulder, much to his annoyance, "You gotta keep up with us, and then we have to have the tournament. And I'll tell you, if you lose to some backwater moron the lucks out and gets passed Drake, I'll kick your ass myself."

"Oh, look at me shake," Ash grinned, "I'm looking forward to seeing you guys again, seriously. But I really have to warn you, this is a really rough place, Gateon Port is horrible. The whole ocean around the docks is polluted."

Luana smiled at the boy, "We'll take whatever challenge Orre has to offer, Ash, so you don't need to worry about us."

"Yeah, hey, is Misty there?" Rudy pushed his way in. Ash chuckled as Drake shoved him out of the way.

"Easy, Tiger," Drake grinned, "Anyway, Ash, give us about a week, maybe a week and a half, and we'll see you in Gateon Port, or Professor Krane's lab."

Ash nodded, "Just watch out for the Steelix. And take care of yourselves."

"Will do, Ash, oh yeah, Nurse Joy should be on her way," Drake said, "Last I heard she was over at Shamuti Island, so she should be there in a day or so if that crazy Gyarados of hers carries her."

"That's great!" Ash grinned, but it quickly turned to a frown, "But we could really use a few more if any of her sisters or cousins could help out?"

"No go," Danny sighed, "We already tried. But isn't one of your friends a Pokemon Doctor?"

"Brock? I don't know, Danny, he's got his family to look after," Ash said, frowning, even though he would have loved having Brock around for the added support. "I'll give him a call, but I'm not going to hold my breath."

Rudy muscled his way back onto the screen, "Hey, you never know until you try, right? Besides, from what I understand, a Pokemon doctor in Orre would be a huge improvement from just getting a few Pokemon Centers. Plus, if those centers get overloaded, a full on Pokemon hospital would help out a lot, plus those same medical techniques can be used on people, too." He said, before Drake shoved him out of the way again, "Hey!"

"He's got a point," Drake said, grinning at his friend, "But either way, Ash, we're all in. Good luck on your end."

Ash nodded, and smiled at them, "Thanks, guys, you don't know how much this means to me. I'll see you all in a week or two." He said before hanging up the phone, and turning to Serena with a grin, "This is great, now we have our Gym Leaders, and a Nurse Joy on the way!"

Serena, having listened to the call over his shoulder, smiled, "It's actually going to be alright, isn't it?" She asked, "We're going to make this happen?"

"Damned right we are," Ash said, his eyes brimming with a bit of the blue in his eyes flaring. "Now we just need to get the people here in town on your side."

Serena tilted her head a little at his statement, "Don't you mean 'our' side?"

Ash shook his head, "Afraid not, Serena. You're the one that beat Lovrina, so you're the one that they all look to now." He said, chuckling as the girl's face turned blue, "Oh, come on, it's not like I'm not going to help you at all!"

"But, Ash, I don't even know where to begin in all of this mess," she said, reaching up and fiddling with a strand of her hair nervously, "I'm not even sure what I could do for them?"

Ash chuckled a little as he stood up from the phone booth, wincing slightly from the hunched position his back had been in, "Well, for starters, I can make a few calls around to a few friends I've made over the years that could help us out with getting some better crops for the farms around her, anything that could grow in sandy soil like this. And I can have Steelix help me find a few underground springs, maybe get a river going if it's big enough."

Serena flitted to his side to support him, reaching up to kiss his cheek, "Ash Ketchum, where in the world did you learn to live so much?"

Ash just grinned at her, "With one step at a time."

=|Meanwhile|=

Professor Krane watched in amazement as Jessie, James, and, surprisingly, Meowth, worked tirelessly on his hover craft, "Goodness, you three certainly know your way around machines, don't you?" He said.

Meowth looked up him from the engine, "Sure do, we've been building our own mechs for years, now." He said, wiping a bit of grease from his paws, "Stuff like d'is is second nature to us."

Jessie, who was working on one of the turbines, her hair done up in buns to keep it out of the gears, nodded, "All of them were made out of scrap metal, too, so we were pretty resourceful about finding materials."

"Sometimes we had to poach from some of our older machines, too," James pointed out from beneath the vehicle. "But we're always good at what we intend to make, whether it flies, hovers, or floats. We can manage it if we have the means."

The professor chuckled, "You three sure saved me a lot of time by fixing this thing for me," he said, smiling at the trio, "Seriously, thanks. It's almost impossible to get a mechanic out here. And with the Onix and Steelix on the prowl all the time, it's too dangerous for someone to come out this way."

"Think nothing of it," James said, coming out from under the hover craft, wiping his hands clean, "We do owe you for saving us, and for that lovely meal you provided us with." He said, smiling, "A little manual labor like this is the least we can do to repay the favor."

Krane just smiled at him, "If you don't mind me asking, why come to Orre in the first place?" He asked, "Not that you have to tell me, but this isn't exactly a nice place for most people to come to."

Jessie sighed and straightened up from the turbines, "Well, we weren't exactly nice people not so long ago." She said while working a kink out of her shoulder, "We came out here because we wanted to disappear, and start over if we could. It was just blind luck that that Onix sent us flying your way when it did."

"New start, huh?" Krane said, leaning against the wall. "You know, why don't you guys stay and work with me? I'm no Pokemon Professor like Samuel Oak, but I do know a think or two about machinery, it's build that I have the problem with. I can design something that will work the way I want it flawlessly, but putting it together usually throws me through several wall, if you know what I mean?"

"Been there, done that," all three former Rockets said, smiling before James piped up, "It sounds like a good thing to us. Just tell us what you want us to build and supply the blueprints."

Krane grinned, "Alright, then let me ask you this," he said, "How good are you at building air crafts?"

James grinned right back at him, "Haven't built anything that couldn't keep up with a Zapdos, yet."

"Excellent." He pulled a rolled up blueprint from his lab coat, "Since getting supplies here in Orre is easier said than done thanks to the harsh environment, I was thinking of having a few things flown over, but..."

"Butter fingers?" James smiled, accepting the role of paper, and checking it out, "Hmm, not bad for a cargo plane. Looks like it lifts straight up instead rolling down a runway."

"Precisely," Krane said, "The desert environment is too much for an air port, but if I could I could build something that lifts straight up from the ground, and can shift the propellers forward when needed, then there won't be a need for one."

"The tiltrotor will be tricky," James said, remembering a few times when he had pilot such air crafts, "One this large may need an more powerful engine than what you have designed here."

"I already thought of that, but the sad fact is that I don't have those sort of resources," Krane admitted sadly, "It's part of the reason I scrapped the idea. Truth be told, I wanted to find the old railroad system that ran from Pyrite town to Olivine City, but that's a pipe dream if ever I heard one. The Rock type Pokemon would destroy the rails before we could get everything set up."

Jessie came over and looked over James' shoulder, "Why are the Onix and Steelix so aggressive? I've never seen one as mean as what you're describing."

"I'm not sure," Krane said, "As I said, I'm no expert on Pokemon, much to my shame, but I can say that it start only a few years ago after an incident concerning Team Snagem. Apparently they had a large Steelix in captivity, and it escaped. Ever since then, these wild ones have been on the attack. The Steelix that leads them isn't the one that escaped, but it's almost as big. Little over eighty feet if I had to guess."

"That big?" James asked in shock. "I've never seen a Steelix that was over fifty feet."

"There's that Gym Leader's Pokemon," Meowth pointed out, "Brock's Steelix is around sixty feet long."

Jessie looked at their furry friend, "Well, yeah, but isn't he something of a Pokemon Breeder? It's no surprise that his Pokemon are larger and healthier than normal, right?"

"True enough," James said, rolling the plans up, "We'll have a look around the materials if you don't mind, and see if we can't at least get a small cargo chopper built, sound good?"

"Better than good," Krane said, "I can't tell you how much this will mean to me!" He reached out and shook James' hand, grasping Jessie's next before taking Meowth's paw, "By the way...how do you know how to talk?"

=x=

Back in Pyrite Town, things were going as they usually did, with one small exception. Serena, Ash, Tracey, and Willy were clearing out an old building to make room for Kurt and his new Pokeball shop, while Professor Oak and, surprisingly, Folly, began clearing out another building for the Pokemon Center. Pyrite Town was remarkably close to the ocean, and, after another phone call from Drake, it was found out that not only had Joy found her way to the continent, but she had nearly bowled a certain surly Pokeball smith over while her Gyarados powered through the water.

Now they were both only a few hours away...or so they thought.

As the two teens were taking a break from the labor, Ash just happened to look up, and promptly blinked in disbelief. "Serena?"

"Yes?" Serena said as she tended to his back once more, "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

Ash shook his head, "No, I just think the heat's getting to me," he said pointing up, "Cause I swear that that's a flying Gyarados."

Serena giggled, looking up where he was pointing, "Oh, Ash, don't be silly, Gyarados...can't...fly..." She mumbled, "I think the heat might be getting to me to."

Sure enough, soaring through the sky was gigantic Gyarados!

"GREETINGS PEOPLE OF EARTH!" Cackled an old man from the Gyarados' back, surrounded by a thin blue aura that Ash immediately recognized as a Psychic attack, while a very tan Nurse Joy waved down at them happily. "WE COME IN PEACE!"

"Kurt?!" Ash laughed as he recognized Slowpoke, Slowbro, and Slowking behind Kurt, all three of them with their eyes glowing blue in a combined attack to keep Gyarados from falling. "Joy?!"

"Hello~!" Joy called down as a crowd began to gather to see the spectacle, "Clear the runway~!"

"Heads up for cargo!" Kurt roared, and it was then that Ash saw several large crates strapped to the titanic Water/Flying type's back. The three Psychic types landed Gyarados safely on the ground. Gyarados actually looked disappointed to be back on the ground. Kurt then slid down the back of the Pokemon like a giant slide, and landed next to Ash with a wide grin, "Ash, my boy, it's good to see you...what happened to you?"

"Bad sunburn," Ash grinned, reaching out the hug the old man, "You're here way earlier than I hoped!"

"Well, it helps when you run into a friendly Gyarados." He said, jerking his thumb at the behemoth as he deposited Joy on the ground, who was draw more attention than a Raiko in the center of town. The woman was tan, as always, and she still wore her one piece swimsuit, considering she did most of her work on the fly. She was more than stunning to most men.

"Sorry for the dramatic entrance, Ash," she smiled at the boy, and gave him a bone crushing hug, making him yelp, "Oops, sorry. Goodness, what in the world have you done to yourself?!" She said, noticing the blistered flesh beneath some of the bandages, "You look like you just waltzed out of a volcano!"

"Close enough," Serena said, dragging Ash back to their bench to fix his bandages, "Oh, this is bad, some of the blistering popped, Ash, your covered in - "

"Yeah, I can feel it," Ash groaned, wincing, "Sorry to cut this short, but we've got a few buildings cleaned up...sort of," he sighed, "I know it's not thej best in the world, but - "

"Ash, don't say another word," Kurt said, smiling, "I've got my boys helping me out, and I'll be sure to get them helping Joy, here. Now you just get those injuries tended."

Joy nodded to the girl at his side, "I'll come by later and have a look at him. I'm sure I can give a little aid since I'm no stranger to sunburn."

Serena beamed at her, "That would be great, thank you."

"Alright, you three dopes, let's get this cargo stowed!" Kurt roared to his Slow trio, "We open first thing in the morning! Pokeballs half-priced until noon!"

=x=

Later that evening, Delia had made a fine meal for them with what she could scrounge up, but the quality didn't make it any less delicious to the people attending. Kurt was telling stories of his younger days, gaining laughter for the most part as he told of his time as an apprentice himself. Joy, on the other hand, spoke of her adventures around the Orange Islands.

Pixie was a big hit around the table. Serena giggled when she saw her and Pikachu bumbling into the dining room where Pikachu snatched up a whole bottle of ketchup, and Pixie tried using his tail as a chew toy. Pikachu took it all in stride, and gladly accepted the ketchup as payment for his babysitting services. Of course that stopped the moment Serena picked the newborn up.

The young Vulpix immediately curled up into her arms and fell right to sleep. Nursing a sore tail, Pikachu sat back and enjoyed his prize with a straw given to him by Ash. "Really, what is it with him and ketchup?" Ash wondered, shaking his head, "I've never met any other Pokemon with a food addiction like him."

Joy giggled, "Tomatoes are a favorite food among Electric types, Ash. Pikachu tend to gorge themselves on them when they can. Ketchup just happens to be a good way for them to do it."

"That makes sense," Delia giggled, "I once caught him in my tomato patch. He was covered in what was left of my tomatoes, but he looked so funny that I couldn't bring myself to scold him."

Ash laughed, "I remember that," he grinned, "It was just before I left for Kalos. He wouldn't move for a whole day!"

"Chaaa~." Pikachu sighed as he finished the bottle and tipped over backwards.

"And there he goes," Ash said, looking amusedly at his old partner as his friends and family laughed.

Willy chuckled at the Pokemon's antics, then turned to Ash, asking, "So what's the plan now?" Drawing looks of confusion, he said, "I mean, where do we go from here? Serena will have to keep battling to keep her title until your Gym Leader friends get here. And there's Phenac City to worry about, too. Lovrina's mentor is the head honcho over there, and she's just as bad as she is."

Ash sighed, "I have to heal up before I think of making a trip to Phenac City." He said, "My back alone is gonna take a week."

Serena placed a comforting arm on his shoulder, "I can keep this up for that long, Ash, it's no problem." She smiled at him, "Besides, I have Delphox on my side, and Lovrina's gone." She said, "Nothing to worry about."

"And it's not like you've got to do this alone, Ash," Willy said, "I'm not much of a battler, but I can sure throw down when I have to."

Ash grunted, shaking his head, "No, I can't just sit on the sidelines like this," he said, sighing heavily, "And I've got to work with Steelix and Vibrava."

Professor Oak nodded, "That Steelix is especially interesting." He said, "While I was examining him, I found that, unlike a normal Steelix, which is both Steel and Ground type, your diamond Steelix is Rock instead of Ground." He pulled out a Pokedex, "Now I've only had time to catalouge a few things, but this new species of Steelix evolved to be stronger than the average member of its species. Ground types are generally weak against Grass and Water types, while Rock types are somewhat resilient against Grass types, they are still vulnerable to both, and also to Electric attacks."

"So how come they didn't develop the Ground type advantage over Electric?" Tracey asked.

"Simple," Samuel said, "In the Orre region, there are no Electric Pokemon species, so the Onix and Steelix in this area, isolated as they were, had no need to develop such an immunity. Rock types, however, are far more resilient to heat, and harsh climates such as this, hence the evolutionary branch of the Crystal Onix, and the Diamond Steelix. To survive the extreme condition, they became pure Rock types as an Onix, and evolved into a Steel/Rock type to strengthen that durability."

Joy nodded, smiling, "It makes a lot of sense. Pokemon in isolated conditions will always find ways to survive and pass on those genes to the next generation." She said, "If you were to compare the two, which would you say was the superior species?"

"I would honestly have to say the original branch," Professor Oak said, "While this new species is far larger than the average ones, they have four weaknesses when you think about it. The crystallized form of Onix is vulnerable to Fire, Ground, Grass, and Electric type attacks, as it the evolved form, which also gains the weakness against Fighting types. So, in evolving survive in a place where there natural weaknesses were not present, the species inadvertently weakened, even though they are stronger than the normal breeds, they have more vulnerabilities because they don't have to worry about them here."

Ash took out his Steelix's Pokeball, "That explains why Vibrava was able to beat this one so easily," he said, "We kept using Superpower, and sent him flying each time until she used Fissure, and knocked him out."

"Weak or strong," Willy said, gesturing to the Pokeball, "You're the first person in Orre to ever catch one of those things, and that's no small feat. Anyone that knows you have it will give you a lot of respect."

"Speaking of respect," Kurt smiled, reaching for his belt, "I have something for you, Ash, out of respect for gifting it to me in the first place." He pulled out a familiar gold and silver Pokeball, "The GS Ball you gave me provided a great deal of material for me to recreate it. And I'm far more shocked at what it can do."

Samuel looked at him in delight, "You've managed to open it?!"

"I did," Kurt said, then frowned, "But the Pokemon inside it disappeared the moment I opened it. I didn't even get a chance to see it, just a great big flash and then it was gone." He sighed, placing the ball on the table, "But the ball itself was originally an apricorn ball, like what I make. And its strong. I'd say it's as powerful as Silph. Co.'s Master Ball."

"Really?" Ash said, looking at the ball in wonder, "And you're giving this to me?"

"I am," Kurt smiled, "I have plenty more. It took a whole year, but I was able to breed just the right apricorn to recreate it. I now have several in my stock, which I intend to sell, of course, but at a much steeper price considering how powerful they are."

Willy whistled appreciatively, "You'd better keep those under a real tight lock, Kurt. Much as I hate to say it, thievery ain't exactly rare around here."

"I intend to," Kurt nodded, "You see, I have the seeds and saplings I need for several different Pokeballs, but seeing as there's mostly Rock, Ground and Steel types, it seems like my Heavy Balls are going to been in high demand."

"Any Pokeballs are going to be in high demand," Willy laughed.

* * *

 _ **And here's the next installment! Things are looking up for Orre already. Next chapter, though, is going to be about Serena meeting the people, and gaining their trust as a person, as well as a trainer, in other words...BATTLE ON!**_

 _ **Don't forget to review!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Special Chapter Alert! Don't really know what you'd call the shipping involved in this chapter, but I find it cute, considering who the stars of the show are, at least for this one.**_

 _ **Pyrite Town Arc Special**_

 ** _8: A Tale of Brock & Autumn_**

* * *

Back in Kanto, as our heroes get everything underway, a certain young lady arrives in the the city of Pewter. Not just any young lady, however. Oddly enough, she was dressed in a maid outfit, with a large Miltank at her side. "We're finally here, Milta!" She said to her Pokemon, her amber eyes glistening, "I wonder if he'll remember me?" She said, dusting off her skirts and picked up her bags, while Milta waddled after her.

Now, while our little lady is on the move, a certain doctor was in for a surprise, "Brock, I know I'm asking for a lot, but the fact of the matter is that this place doesn't just need a whole lot of Pokemon Centers, it needs an actual doctor, and besides that smooth talking Casanova we met the first time around, you're the only one I know!" Ash pleaded, "Come on, Brock, just for a little while?"

"Ash, calm down," Brock laughed, "I haven't even said no, yet, and you think I'm just gonna turn down a friend?" The doctor smiled at his old friend, "It honestly sounds like a good opportunity. I mean what better way to prove myself than putting myself in a place like Orre. Besides, I'm really interested to see this new breed of Onix you've told me about."

Over the phone, Ash's face lit up like a Christmas tree, "You really mean you'll come?"

"Of course," Brock said, grinning, "It'll be just like old time, except Misty's still got the Gym to look after, but hey, at least you've got your girlfriend, right?"

Ash blushed a little at that, "Hehe, yeah, I guess I do." He grinned, "It's really been one hell of a ride, and we've only been here a few days. So much has happened!"

Brock nodded, "I can imagine. Getting dumped in the desert can't have been good for you."

"Tell me about it," Ash groaned, "Mom and Serena won't stop fussing over me when I try to help out, and Joy just keeps telling me to rest."

Brock sighed, "You know that's probably a good idea, Ash? A sunburn like that's nothing to sneeze at, and what if it gets infected? It could easily turn into something worse. If anything, I need to be there to sit on you just to make sure you do rest!"

"I'd like to see you try it, Brock-o," Ash grinned, flexing one of his arms, "I'm as strong as one of my Tauros!"

"Alright, then I'll just have Croagunk hit you with Poison Jab."

"Anything but that!" Ash yelped.

Brock laughed himself silly as Ash's face paled at the thought of being on the receiving end of one of his Croakgunk's sneak attacks. "I'll pack a few herbs, and medicines that'll help out. I'll see you in about four days."

"That sounds great," Ash smiled back at him, "It'll be great to have you around again."

Brock nodded, "It sure will, Ash. See you soon."

As Brock hung up the phone, there was a small commotion at the front of the Pokemon Center. As he went to see what was going on, he was surprised to see a small group of young men gathered around what looked like an angry Miltank and -

"A maid?"

"Come on, honey, just a little fun?" One of the men pleaded, laying an arm across the girl's shoulder, letting Brock catch a familiar glimpse of auburn hair. "I promise I'll make it worth your while."

"I said no!" The maid snapped, "Now get away from me!"

"Autumn!" Brock yelled, and moved to break up the group, "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Doc, you know this chick?" One of the boys asked, pouting, "Man, why do the hot ones always go for the guys in white coats?"

Upon seeing the former Gym Leader, the girl smiled and ran right into him, "Brock! It's so good to see you!"

"Ah, man, he does know her," the boy that had his arm around her pouted, "Come on, guys, let's get outta here."

Brock sighed in relief as the small group left, and looked down at the girl in his arms, "Autumn, what are you doing in Kanto? I thought you'd still be in Sinnoh with your sisters?"

"Mil," Milta lowed, waving her hoof at the man in greeting.

"Hi to you, too, Milta," Brock chuckled as the girl stepped back. "This really is a surprise. I didn't think you'd come to this neck of the woods."

Autumn giggled, "I kind of came to see you, Brock."

Brock brow rose in surprise, "Me? Well, that's nice of you, but I'm packing up and leaving for Orre soon."

"Orre?" Autumn asked, "Is that far off?"

"It's clear across the continent," Brock said, "Far to the West, across a desert if I went on foot."

The girl giggled, smiling, "Then I'll just come with you."

"Wha - ?! No you won't!" Brock roared, "It's no place for a little girl!"

"Little- ?!" Autumn's face contorted with anger as she stared up at him, "Now you listen here, Brock, I may not look it, but I'm eighteen years old, and can I take care of myself!"

"You're kidding me," Brock said, looking her over, "You haven't grown an inch three years?"

"I haven't hit my growth spurt, yet!" Autumn roared, "So you can't stop me from going!"

"Wanna bet?" Brock asked, "I'll have my little brothers and sisters play cowboys and Indians with you as the Indian, and all thirteen of them as the cowboys!"

"I can handle a few kids," Autumn said proudly, "Remember I helped run an ice cream shop? I know how to get on a kid's good side! And who are you to tell me where I can and can't go?!"

"Well, why the hell do you wanna come with me in the first place?!" Brock asked loudly, not noticing that his Croakgunk had arrived and was preparing to jab him.

"Because I like you, you moron!" Autumn yelled right back before she could stop herself, but just in time to save Brock ass...literally.

Croakgunks Poison Jab stopped just short of hitting his target as both he, and Brock gaped at the young woman, whose face was aflame and her hands covered her mouth as she realized just what it was she'd just said.

Brock on the other hand...well...one can only imagine after so many strike outs with girls that were older than himself, the last thing he expected to be confessed to, in such a manner, but a girl younger than he was.

Croakgunk was just as stunned as his trainer. Of course he knew the girl had like his trainer when they'd met before, but the buffoon had been too befuddled with her sisters to notice, even though it was obvious to him. Sighing as he figured he was better off leaving this to the humans, the small purple Pokemon waved at Milta, and both left the room.

"You...can't mean that," Brock said, finally coming back to his senses, "Autumn, we barely know each other, and I'm way too old for you!"

Autumn looked at him with a faint coloring in her cheeks, "You're not that much older than me," she said quietly, "And I know it's stupid, but...all I could think about after you left was...you. How you helped me, and how you encouraged me to do better as a trainer to Milta." She bit her lip slightly, "I thought it was a silly crush for a while, and that I'd get over it, but I didn't. No boy's ever been as nice to me as you have."

Brock gulped loudly as the action of biting her lip tipped the scale on his "cute sensors", but shook it off, "I'm twenty-four years old, Autumn, and coming all of this way to see me was nice, but what would your sisters think if they knew about this?"

Autumn looked a little offended, "You really think I didn't tell them?" She asked, "Brock, they're the ones that told me I should come here to see you after we heard you'd become a Pokemon doctor," she said, which shocked him even more than her confession, "I'm serious, Brock, I wouldn't have come without their blessings!"

"You mean to tell me they don't mind you going off on your own to pursue a near-total stranger?" Brock asked skeptically. "I find it hard to believe that, Autumn."

"I was miserable when you left!" She snapped, angry tears springing to her eyes, "Believe me, I tried to get over it, but it was no use! I couldn't get you out of my head! And every time I thought of you, my heart wouldn't stop pounding!" She snapped, stepping forward, "I know I'm not as pretty as my sisters, but I - "

"But I think you're very pretty," Brock said, frowning, "What makes you think I'm making comparisons?"

"You were all over them!" She yelled, "I realize that I've got a small body, but seeing you with them, and seeing how kind and considerate you were with me -"

Brock sighed as the girl fell silent. There was really no way to fix this without hurting her, was there? She was sure she was in love. Brock on the other hand was simply used to playing the big brother, especially when he'd seen the girl crying her eyes out over her inabilities to get along with her Pokemon.

"Autumn, I...Orre isn't the best place for someone like you," Brock said, looking down at her with a growing pit in his stomach. "I'm sorry, but I can't take you with me..."

"Then I'll go on my own," she said, looking at him with determination, "And there's nothing you can do to stop me."

Brock snorted out a laugh, "You're stubborn, you know that?"

"I know what I want," she said, smiling a little, "Brock, please, I promise I won't get in your way, just...please, let me come with you."

Brock sighed, shaking his head and reaching up to run a hand through his spiky hair, "You'll tag along even if I keep saying no, right?"

The girl nodded. "I know what I want," she repeated.

=x=

Ash sighed as he watched the small town bustling with renewed energy. Kurt's new shop was open for business and was swamped, so much so that Serena had volunteered to help him with the sales, which meant she could meet the people of the town, showing them she was more than what they believed her to be.

Already some were moving out into the desert to try their luck at using their new Pokeballs, courtesy of Kurt's hard work. Others were bringing in their Pokemon for Nurse Joy to have a look at, and, thankfully, the woman was now garbed in the usual nurse's outfit, lest she start an uproar with the male population.

Tracey and Professor Oak were looking around town to see what needed improving and how they could do it. Even his mother was doing something constructive by cooking meals for some of the working people that were repairing the Colosseum. Ash was the only one not working...and it was driving him nuts.

Pikachu, who was curled up beside him where he sat, watching the goings on, was half asleep, the only proof that he was even aware of his surroundings was the occasional twitch of his ears.

The raven-haired teen sighed, supposing that this was as good a chance for him to rest as any, considering he'd decided to stop his journey, permanently if things played out right in Orre. His championship in the Orange League standing if they became an official League...and even if they didn't, he wouldn't mind carving out a life in the rough and tumble region.

"You see, I told you things were crazy here, Gabby!" Said a man down the street, a camera on his shoulder, "Look at this place! It's a wreck!"

"Ty, I can't ignore the rumors!" Said a woman with red microphone in her hand, "If Ash Ketchum actually came to Orre to clean things up, then it's the story of a century! After all the Leagues he's competed in, him actually leaving the regional Leagues and coming to a place like this is a top story!"

"We don't even know if he's even here," Ty grumbled as he passed by a vagrant. "Even if he is, what could he do here? It's a lawless region!"

Gabby turned around and glared at him, "If you want to leave, then give me the camera and get going!" She snapped, "I'm not turning away from this!"

"And your old man would kill me if I left you here!" Ty growled, "I'll keep on, but if we don't find him in the next half-hour, we're out of here!"

"Fine!" Gabby snapped and whipped around down the street, "But I'm telling you, this will..." She stopped when she saw a familiar looking boy sitting in the shade, his chest and back covered in bandages, with a Pikachu at his side, dozing. "That's...that's him!"

"No way," Ty said, turning his camera toward the boy, "Yes way! That is him!"

Ash had been dozing off when he heard someone speaking to him, "Excuse me?" A woman asked, "Are you Ash Ketchum?"

=|Back with Brock|=

Brock sighed as he sat on the edge of his bed, his bags packed, looking at the lone Pokeball he would be taking. Swampert was a given, since the region was filled with Rock and Ground types, he could use Swampert's dual Water/Ground type to take on a few new Pokemon if he found some he could send back to the Gym.

A small tap came to his door, and Autumn peeked in, "Um, Brock? Your mother says dinner's ready if you'd like to come down?"

"I'll be down in a minute or two," he said, smiling at her, which made her give small smile in return. As she turned to leave, he noticed that her maid outfit was gone, replaced by a blue T-shirt and jeans. He had to admit she looked nice...and very different.

She may not have had the curves her sisters had, but she did have a figure. And not an unattractive one at that. Brock shook his head as the door closed behind her. _No, no, bad idea. You'll just end up leading her on, and she too sweet for that!_ Brock thought, _Wait, wait, when did I start thinking she was sweet?! Get a hold of yourself, Brock!_

He groaned and palmed his face, "This whole thing's got me thinking to much." He said to himself, reaching for the remote to his TV, and switched it on.

 _"We bring you live to the Orre region as our ace reporter, Gabby, interviews veteran Pokemon trainer, Ash Ketchum on his involvement in Orre's rebuild, starting with Pyrite Town._

The image of a woman appeared on the screen as Brock looked on in interest, "Ash?"

 _"Hello, my name is Gabby, and I'm here in Pyrite Town with Ash Ketchum to find out why such a well known trainer would show such interest in Orre. Mister Ketchum, would mind telling us your reasons for being here?"_

The camera panned to show Ash sitting on a bench in the shade, and Brock clenched his fists, seeing the young man in such shape. His shirt still gone, the bandanges around his chest were clearly visible.

 _"I came to this region," Ash began, smiling, "Because I want to see it change for the better." He said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder, "Just yesterday, Kurt from Johto moved here to open a Pokeball shop. This region is hard to get supplies to, and Pokeballs are even harder to find, so not a lot of people have Pokemon to call their own. With Kurt being here, more people can become trainers, and earn a living through the Colosseums here...at least until I can get the Orange League going."_

 _"You mean to say that you, as Champion of the Orange League, are planning to make Orre the home region of this League?" Gabby asked._

 _Ash nodded, "That and more," he said, "There's so much here that needs to be done here that it almost makes my head spin. The Pyrite Colosseum was supposed to be a Gym, and a Gym it will be when the time comes."_

Brock smiled at his friend, seeing the familiar fire burning in his eyes like it had when he was a brand new trainer, still learning the ways of the world. When he had returned from Kalos, he had lost his way, now it seemed that he had found his path again.

"Brock?" Autumn said, as she came back into the room, "Have you seen the news?"

"Watching it now," Brock smiled as the camera showed a large crowd in front of a small shop, people coming out with bags laden with balls. Autumn sat herself down beside him and watched as the camera moved again, showing the large dome that was Pyrite Colosseum.

" _Does this mean that you will be 'taking over' the Orre region, Mister Ketchum?" Gabby asked._

 _Ash chuckled, "I can't stay Champion forever," he said, smiling, "And I don't think I'm smart enough to run an entire region on my own. I'm counting on the help of my friends. The Orange Crew's already said that they will be coming, and helping me get things going. We may not use the Colosseums as the Gyms, because they're how most people earn money here, but the Gym Leaders will accept any challenge issued."_

Brock smiled as the interview ended, and turned off the TV, "And that's where we're going," he smiled, looking at the girl beside him. "Are you sure you still want to come along?"

Autumn smiled and leaned against his shoulder, "Yeah, I'm sure...even if you don't feel the same way, I'll still be there to support you, no matter what."

Brock felt his face flushing with heat at girl's closeness. Tentatively, he reached his arm around her shoulders. She jumped just a little bit from the touch, but soon settled and sighed happily. "Thank you, Brock."

* * *

 _ **Not much happening in this chapter, except that Brock didn't get Croagunk's version of a thousand years of death, and he finds out a very special lady has had a crush on him for a long, long time. Anyway, hope you liked it, short and boring as it was.**_

 _ **Don't forget to review!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Wow, did not expect such a good turnout for that last chapter, but you guys rock! Any way, here's the next chapter, and we'll see the other side of this story, in other words...CIPHER!**_

 _ **WARNING! This chapter contains Mature content unfit for readers under the age of eighteen, viewer discretion is advised.**_

 _ **Pyrite Town Arc**_

 _ **9:Cipher**_

* * *

The TV in the room was shut off, leaving the room dark save for a small window as the woman stared down her pupil, "I'm very disappointed in you, Lovrina." She said in a sing-song voice, "I thought I had taught you better than this."

Lovrina bowed nervously, "I'm sorry, Lady Venus. I underestimated that girl and her Pokemon."

Venus huffed, crossing her arms over her ample bosom, "No, you stupid child, what you should have done, instead of ridding yourself of that boy, is to have taken the girl instead," she snapped, making the girl wince, "Fool, if you really claimed to know how things work, you should have known that a boy like that would have done anything to get his other half back!"

"I won't fail you again," Lovrina promised, not daring to raise her eyes to her mentor, "I promise I - "

"No," Venus sighed, "I'm afraid that our organization does not tolerate failures, my dear." She said, shaking her head as the girl raised up, disbelief written over her features. "Yes, you assume correct. After this meeting is over, you are banished from my ranks. Should you return for any reasons, I shall give you over to my men," she smirked at the appalled look crossing the younger woman's face, "And just so you know, many of them have been wanting a chance at you, my dear...so I wouldn't push my luck were I you."

"Y-yes, Lady Venus," Lovrina gulped back the bile that rose up in her throat.

"Good," Venus said, gesturing in front of her, "Now, hand over your Pokemon."

Lovrina hesitated, "M-my Lady, may I please keep the Roserade you gave me? I raised if from a Budew, just as you asked of me."

"It was not part of Master Verich's plans," Venus said, narrowing her eyes at the girl, "You may keep only the Roserade, but never enter the Colosseums again. Should you do that, my threat from earlier will be much more than that."

The rosette nodded, and stepped forward, placing two of her three Pokeballs on the table. "Th-thank you...for everything, My Lady." She said, bowing shortly, before exiting the room.

The woman placed the two balls within her desk and smiled, "Well, that went well, don't you think?"

"Quite," said a man from the corner, shrouded by the shadows, "But I believe you were too lenient for Master Verich's tastes. Or is it that you wanted me to punish you?"

Venus smiled demurely behind her veil, "Oh, punish me, will you?" She said with a bat of her eyes, "And just what will the ruthless Ardos do to this poor unfortunate woman?"

Ardos, a tall, blue-haired man, smiled thinly, "You really shouldn't test me, woman. Not all my punishments are so pleasurable." He said, standing behind the woman at her deck, and placing his hands on her shoulders, he leaned down to whisper, "But...that little girl still has to pay. She failed the Master, and unlike yourself, I will not tolerate such a thing."

Venus purred under his touch as his breath against her skin made her flesh rise. "Oh, don't worry. She won't get out of the city untouched...it's just such a shame that she never found someone to take her maidenhood."

Ardos smiled, "That is why you are one of my favorites." He said, grazing her skin with his lips, drawing a moan from her, "After I take my leave, pass the word along; the Shadow Machine has been rebuilt, and we will soon have our Shadow Pokemon."

"Hmm, did you managed to find me a new hound?" She asked as she reached up to touch his face. "Ever since that little runt took my beauty from me, I haven't yet found a Pokemon that completes me as it once did."

"We're tracking a parent and child pair as we speak," the man grinned, and bit the inside of her neck, "If everything goes well, we shall also have the Birds of Shamuti."

"Glorious," the woman moaned, "And what of the Master's special project? Has he found a proper subject?"

Ardos rose up, and smiled, tipping her chin up at him, "Oh, yes, he has. We're just now putting the finishing touches on our dear little XD001. Soon its heart will be as hard as the rocks upon the shores, and we will have the purest of Shadow Pokemon ever seen."

Sighing just inches away from his lips, the woman gave out a small giggle, "Just so long as I get what's coming to me," she said, nipping at him, "Both from the master...and from you."

Ardos chuckled, and lifted her from her seat onto the desk, "I'll make sure of that."

=x=

Tracey sighed as he took in the work done to the town. Nurse Joy's Pokemon Center was little more than a shack, but it was functioning. Professor Krane had phoned in, promising more material for the build in a day or so, as well as a few others that surprised the young man. Ash's impromptu interview had rocked a few people from their seats. One of them being Scott, manager of the Kanto Battle Frontier.

The idea that one of his prospective Frontier Brains was in such a state had left him more than a little worried. When it was explained to him, Scott thought the whole situation was ambitious, and readily offered his support. Ash had funds ready for him to use in the construction of his Frontier facility, but Scott was more than happy to let it be used for different purposes.

And it was a great deal more since Ash had been long away from his potential internment as a Frontier Brain. The young man had readily spent it on building materials listed by Professor Oak.

Kurt was already a celebrity with his Pokeball shop running in full swing. Serena had gained a bit of acception by working along side him as a clerk for most of the day, showing the people of Pyrite that she was far different than Lovrina was.

Speaking of Lovrina, the young Watcher hadn't seen her since the battle a few days ago. She had disappeared from the Colosseum just as soon as the battle ended, even before Ash could lay into her for everything she'd done.

Tracey sighed, wishing the girl had stuck around, if only to see where things would go now that she was out of power. There was already a huge improvement on moral for the most part as more and more people were becoming trainers. Although, no one had dared to go after either one of the Onix or Steelix, Ash was the only one that had managed to catch one. A fact that was still unknown to most people around, save for himself, and the rest of their group.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a crash from the allies around the hotel. "What on Earth?" He wondered, reaching for Scizor's Pokeball as he went to investigate.

"Keep away from me!" A girl's voice yelled, "Don't touch me!" Tracey growled and moved in closer as the sounds of a struggle came to his ears, along with numerous male voices.

"Fat chance, Love," one man said, laughingly, "You ain't gettin' away from this one!"

"Yeah, Venus done told us to make sure you never set foot in Pyrite again!" Another laughed, and the sound of ripping came, along with a feminine scream.

"No! No, no, no! Let me go!"

Tracey barreled into the alley, his arm drawn back, "Scizor, let's go!"

In a flash of blue, the large red Pokemon appeared from his ball, his claws primed, snarling along with his trainer as he saw the two men harassing the girl, half of her top ripped away from her. "Scizorrrr!"

"Hit them with Bullet Punch, and don't hold back!" Tracey roared as the powerhouse of his team darted forward, both claws glowing, and slammed the first thug in the stomach, throwing him into a dumpster. The other man dropped the girl to the ground where she scuttled away from the fray, trying to hide her exposed flesh as the large Bug/Steel type wheeled on her other attacker.

He whipped around and slammed him in the jaw, throwing him against the wall mercilessly where he slumped. Scizor flitted back to his trainer's side, looking thoroughly satisfied while his trainer nodded to him in thanks, "Keep an eye out."

"Zor." The Pokemon nodded, crossing his arms.

Tracey moved into the alley where Lovrina was crouching, "Are you alright?"

"L-leave me alone!" The girl squeaked timidly, on the verge of tears, "Just go away!"

Tracey bit his lip as he saw the extent of the damage to herself and her clothing. Her top was only just barely hanging off of her left shoulder, leaving little to nothing to cover herself, save for her arms, for she was bare underneath it all. She also sported a nasty bruise across the right side of her face.

He shrugged off his backpack and pulled out an extra shirt, handing it to her whilst keeping his eyes cast down. "Here, it's not much, but at least it'll cover you up?" He said hopefully. Lovrina looked at the man in disbelief. Wasn't he going to hurt her just like those other men?

But here he was, offering to help her.

Shyly, she reached out and took the shirt from his grasp. She pulled it on quickly, not wanting to be seen in such a state any more than she already had.

Tracey cleared his throat, "So, um, what was that all about?" He asked, hazarding a glance at her and sighed in relief when he saw that she was properly covered.

"It's...it's none of your business," the girl mumbled, her face flushed with heat, "but...thank you...for saving me..."

Tracey shook his head, "Anyone decent would've done the same," he said, gaining an incredulous look from the girl, "Well, anyone I know would." He said, reaching out his hand to her, "Come on, let's get you out of here before these idiots wake up."

She looked at his hand as if it were an Ekans coiled to strike. Tracey saw this and sighed, "Look, I don't know how things were before I got here, but you can trust me. I won't take advantage of you."

Still, Lovrina hesitated, until a groan from one of the men his Scizor had knocked out spurred her into action. She grasped his hand, and was pulled to her feet. He led her out of the alley, "I'll take you over to the hotel we're staying at. At least you'll be able to stay out of sight there."

"Why are you even helping me," she asked, looking down at their joined hands, her own being engulfed by his larger hand, "I was the that had your friend dumped in the desert, you know that right?"

"Yeah, but if I've learned anything from that guy, it's that everyone has a second chance coming." Tracey told her, a smile on his lips. "Besides, he'd have done this for you, too. Even if you nearly had him killed."

Lovrina scoffed as she looked back at the large Scizor trailing behind them, "Then he won't last very long here. Orre takes the best out of people, and only leaves the worst." They passed by Kurt's shop, where Lovrina saw the old man smiling at a customer carrying out their purchases. Through the window she saw the girl that had beaten her.

The girl was smiling away as she packed up bag after bag filled with Pokeballs, all the while balancing a white Vulpix on her shoulder. She didn't understand it. Why was she not lording over the town as she was entitled to? Lovrina had made sure everyone knew just who was in charge after she was put into power. But here she was, being kind and sweet as if nothing had happened.

Tracey stopped for a moment and looked back at her, "Well, you'll see that Ash has a habit of bringing out the best in most people, even the worst kind." He tugged her down the street at a gentler pace, walking side by side with her, all the while Lovrina couldn't help but feel the warmth of his hand around hers.

Much to her surprise, when they reached the hotel, Ash was sitting outside again, speaking with Professor Oak, and Delia. He was still shirtless, thanks to his burns, but he did have his jacket draped over his shoulders, Pikachu sitting at his side.

But when Pikachu saw Tracey, and who he had with him, the little powerhouse jumped up and started sparking angrily. Scizor flitted in front of his trainer protectively while Lovrina quickly stepped behind him to shield herself form the Electric Mouse.

"Easy, Pikachu, she's a friend!" Tracey warned, causing the small group to look up at him.

Ash was the first to move, and Lovrina expected him to start yelling, but the young trainer just smiled. "Got yourself a new friend there, Tracey?"

"Something like that," Tracey said, scratching the back of his head with his free hand, "Could you call off Pikachu before he zaps us? I really don't think Scizor would take too kindly to that."

Ash reached down and petted his partner, "Alright, knock it off, Pikachu, she's not here to cause trouble...right?" He asked, directing hsi question at the girl in question.

Lovrina shook her head, remaining quiet.

Delia came forward next, noticing something odd, "That's your shirt she has on, Tracey...don't tell me you - " She started, her hands on her hips in disapproval as she noticed the mark on the girl's face.

"No, no, you've got it wrong!" Tracey stuttered, "I just had Scizor take out some thugs that were roughing her up!"

Lovrina nodded slightly, "M-my clothes got ripped up pretty badly, and Tracey loaned me one of his shirts to cover up with."

Delia's scowl immediately melted away to a look of sympathy, "Oh, you poor thing!" She immediately rushed forward, and placed an arm around the girl, "Come on, and we'll get you cleaned up, and I'll have a look at that bruise."

The rosette stuttered for a moment before she was forced to let go of Tracey's hand, and was led inside the hotel. Now Tracey was left with a frowning Professor Oak, and a grinning Ash, and it was not a friendly grin. "What...Happened."

"I found some guys about to rip her clothes off so I had Scizor knock'em out!" Tracey rushed out, Scizor nodding along with his words, his arms crossed.

Ash's brow raised clear to his hair line, "What did you do with them?"

"Left them lying," Tracey sighed, "They were waking up when we left, so they're probably gone now. Besides, I wanted to get her out of there." He said, looking a little disgusted, "She was really shaken up, you know?"

"I understand," Samuel sighed, looking down at the young man beside him, "Do you trust her?"

Ash just shrugged, wincing, "We'll just see how this turns out, but it's obvious that she's not on anyone's guest list." He said, looking at Tracey, "Did you find anything out?"

"One of the thugs said something about a person named Venus," Tracey said, nodding, "I figure he or she's another person in town that you need to go through to get everything in order."

"Maybe," Ash sighed, jerking his thumb over his shoulder, "But with my back the way it is, it'll be nothing but training for a while. Battling's always put a bit of a strain on me, especially since Kalos."

"Your bond with Greninja is quite remarkable," Samuel said, nodding, "Speaking of which, have you checked on them since you got them back?"

Ash grinned, "Of course I have," he said, "They were really PO'ed because they weren't able to help out, and that they didn't get to battle either." He rose from his seat with Pikachu bounding up to his shoulder gently, "I'm gonna go see how Serena's doing at the shop, and stop by Nurse Joy's to see if she has anymore of that ointment for my back. Tracey, you keep an eye on your new girlfriend." He said, grinning at the older boy's flustered face while Sam chuckled.

"Ash, it's not like that!" Tracey whined.

Samuel clapped the younger man on the shoulder, "Many relationships started with such words, Delia's included." He said, and turned the boy toward the hotel, "Now, let's see if Miss Lovrina's in a talkative mood."

=x=

Kurt, as Ash was strolling up to the shop, was just closing his doors for the day as he and Serena bade the last customer good-bye. "Well, that about does it, Serena," the old smith said as he locked up the door, "it won't be long until I have to start smithing again at this rate. And my saplings are growing fast thanks to the rich soil on top of the walls around here."

"It's just what you wanted," the girl smiled as she wiped a bit a sweat from her forehead, Pixie blowing a breath of cold air over her face, "That feels nice, Pixie, thank you!"

"Pixie!" The little Vulpix said, raising her paw.

Ash just grinned, "Hard day?"

Serena whipped around to see her boyfriend coming toward them, and smiled, rushing to his side, "How're your injuries?"

Grinning as he flexed his arm, "Still sore, but I'm getting better little by little." He said truthfully, "I was actually coming to see if you'd walk with me to Joy's for some more of that ointment she gave me?"

"Sure," Serena chirped happily.

Kurt chuckled at the young couple, "You go on, then, I'm just heading up to the hotel. Thanks for all the hard work...Kalos Cutie!" Kurt laughed as Serena's face flamed.

"That's...not gonna go away anytime soon, is it?" She asked Ash as he laughed, and placed an arm around her. She was tempted to lean into the partial embrace, but was mindful of his back. Though he would tell her that he felt fine, she knew that he still slept on his stomach because of the pain it caused him. And she was beginning to miss having his arms around her during the night. The desert climate around Orre made cuddling a perfect way to keep each other warm during the cold nights.

"Tracey ran into Lovrina a little while ago," Ash said, dropping the bomb, as some would call it, and felt the girl under his arm stiffen. "It's really alright, Serena," he said, trying to ease her fears, "He saved her from a couple of thugs that were apparently following someone else. Venus was the name Tracey picked up."

She looked at him in worry, "I thought my beating Lovrina would end the trouble in town," she said in confusion, "but if there's someone else working this town, how do we get to them?"

Ash gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze, "We'll figure something out," he said as the came to Joy's makeshift Center, "Besides, I can't let you be the hero all the time," he grinned as Serena giggled, and gave him a light shove. "If this person is the real boss, then he or she'll be gunning for one of us, probably you since you beat Lovrina, but I won't let my guard down again, either." He said, and pushed the door to the center open, and was greeted by a greeted by a Wigglytuff.

Joy came around the corner a few moments later to find the pair sitting in the waiting area. The tanned nurse smiled, "Hello, Ash, here for more of my ointments?"

Ash nodded, "Yeah, it worked great." He said, smiling. "How's the Center doing?"

"Well, it's not as well stocked as I'd like it to be, but the best thing I've found out is a lot of the plants around this area have very high medicinal values." She said, reaching under the counter to pull out a small jar, "I actually made this latest batch using them. I also added a few pain killing agents to help you when showering, but you'll have to have someone help you wash, as I'm sure you've had some difficulty."

Ash blushed as Serena gave him a scowl, "I thought you said you'd had no trouble?"

"Er, well, I didn't want you to worry?" Ash said, scratching the back of his head. Serena just stepped away from him with her arms crossed, "Really, Serena, I'm fine!"

"Uh-huh," Serena said, unconvinced, "Show me your back."

"But - "

"Ash Ketchum, show me your back, or I'll rip those bandages off myself," She snapped, causing Pixie to yelp and bound off of her shoulder as Pikachu did the same, both small Pokemon sitting on the bench, watching to see what their trainers would do.

Ash sighed, shrugging off his coat, and started unwinding the bandages. Serena and Joy stepped around to see his back, and the young blonde gasped. Ash's skin was a mottling of peeling dead skin, and scars. Very few blisters remained, but the few that did were near the center of his back where he obviously couldn't reach. "Oh, Ash, why didn't you ask for help?!" Serena said, taking the jar from Nurse Joy, and picking up Ash's coat, "Thank you, Joy, I'll get this on him as soon as we get back!"

Joy shook off the surprise of Ash's back, and shouted, "Be sure to give him a good scrubbing the get that dead skin off!"

"Pika pi!" Pikachu squeaked as he tailed after them, Pixie hot on his tail.

=x=

Delia smiled at her work as the girl in front of her laid out on the bed. Lovrina was in worse shape than Tracey knew. though the men he'd caught trying to molest her hadn't done the deed, he body was covered in bruises on the left side of her torso, as well as her legs. "Comfortable?"

"Yes, thank you," the girl sighed contentedly, looking at the older woman, "Why are you helping me? Wasn't that boy I sent out into the desert a friend of yours?"

Delia nodded, smiling, "My son, actually, and don't think I didn't want to throw you out there after I'd heard what happened." She said, her voice still as gentle as it had been while tending her. "But I also know what this region can do to people. My husband was born here."

Lovrina looked beyond surprised, "Then why? I've done nothing but be cruel to you, so why are you being so kind to me?!" Lovrina all but shouted as she raised up, wincing as a pain shot through her ribs.

Delia placed a gentle, calming hand on her shoulder, and pushed her back onto the bed, "The question isn't _why_ , dear, it's _why not_?" She said, smiling, "If I treated you as you treated everyone else, then I'd be no different than you. I believe I'm being the better person by showing you this kindness, just as I did for my husband when we first met."

"How was that?" Lovrina found herself asking curiously.

Delia giggled, "Well, if you must know, I met him when he stumbled his way into Pallet Town after bumbling through Viridian Forest. He had actually crossed over from Orre to Johto, and come through Mount. Silver to get to Kanto. I was just starting my life in Pallet Town as a simple farm girl, striking out on my own for the first time when who should bungle into my garden to steal food, but my dear, darling future husband?" She giggled, her cheeks gaining a pink hue at the memory. "When I caught him, I practically beat him half to death with a broomstick, all the while he was begging me to stop. When I did, I saw how thin and poor he was. So what did I do? I invited him to lunch."

Lovrina found herself giggling right along with the older woman, "He must have thought you were crazy?"

Delia nodded, "Probably, but an empty stomach was something he wasn't about to leave with." She said, "And let me tell you, that young man had an appetite, something his son, unfortunately inherited," she sighed dramatically, "either way, he stayed with me that night, and the next night, and the night after that...and you can probably guess what happened after a while."

She nodded, gaining a slight blush on her cheeks, "Started sharing your bed, right?"

"More or less," Delia giggled, "After that, he started telling me a few things about his...home. About how horrible it was there, and how hard it was to survive without aid. But he did, and he found his way to me, and the rest is history." She smiled, "We spent ten years together before Ash was born, and he went traveling again. He sends word every now and then to let me know that he still thinks of us, but I know if he knew we were here in Orre, he'd be furious, and possibly come running."

"Sounds to me like crazy runs in the family," Lovrina sighed, laying her left arm across her ribs, wincing, "You know if you keep me sheltered, you're inviting trouble?"

"Probably," Delia smiled, winking at the girl, "But I think that's what my boy has in mind. Whoever wanted to hurt you is bound to come back, and he'll be waiting with a full arsenal."

Lovrina sighed, feeling, for once, safe. "I hope you're right."

=x=

Ash stood in his bathroom awkwardly. "This can't be happening," he said to himself before he decided to step into the shower, letting the lukewarm spray wash over him, his eyes on the door. Serena had all but ordered him into the shower as the entered the hotel, stating that she would be in to wash his back properly in a few minutes.

Pikachu had wisely bounded down the hall, dragging Pixie along with him, and escaped to his mother's room, leaving the pair truly alone. "I'm...over thinking this way too much," he grumbled to himself, ducking his head under the shower head, "She's...she's just gonna wash my back...that doesn't mean anything...right?"

Meanwhile, Serena was standing outside the door in much the same way Ash was grumbling to himself. How in the world had she gotten herself into this mess? Oh, that's right, her boyfriend's back looked like a raw meatball. But still, Serena stood, her body trembling as she held a towel around herself. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that she had time to think about it...

"I'm...I'm actually gonna be with him in the shower...naked..." her face lit up like a fire hydrant as steam rose from her head before she smacked her cheeks, and steeled her nerves, "Oh, don't be a coward, Serena, you've been dreaming about this for over a year!" She said to herself. She reached for the knob, turning it slowly, and stepped into the bathroom, the sound of running water catching her attention.

She gulped as she saw Ash's blurred form through the shower stall, steam rising from the top. Quietly, she made her way over to him, opening the door slowly, and stepping in.

Ash felt a slight draft as the shower door opened, but didn't dare turn as he felt a gentle touch at his shoulder. "A-Ash?"

"Y-yeah?" He stammered just as badly as she did, and chanced a small glance over his shoulder. Unlike him, she was wrapped up in a towel, where he was fully nude, letting the water sooth his back muscles.

"I...I hope you don't mind using my body wash," Serena started, reaching for the bottle on the shelf, "It's supposed to be good for the skin, even if it smells a little girly..."

Ash nodded, smiling a little, "I like your scent," he found himself saying, much to Serena's pleasure as lathered up her hands, applying them to his back. He hissed in slight pain as her hands came into contact with his overly sensitive skin, feeling her pull back immediately.

"I'm sorry!" Serena squeaked, her hands to her chest, "I didn't think it'd hurt you so much!"

Ash shook his head, looking at her over his shoulder once more, "I'm just a little sensitive right now is all." He said, trying to ease her worries, "It actually feels kind of nice."

Serena smiled and proceeded to, gently, scrub his back with her hands, making sure to soap up the worst of the burns. She then reached for a soft sponge she'd brought from home, and began to scrub in earnest. Ash bit back another his as the first swipe slid across his skin. It didn't hurt as much as it used to, but it still stung like a Tentacool sting.

He braced his arms against the wall, letting the girl continue her work, feeling patches of his skin peeling away in the process. Serena herself was having a difficult time not crying as some of the dead skin tore away, revealing the scarred new skin beneath. While she was sure some of the scarring would fade, some would remain.

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. These scars would prove that Ash was stronger than the average person, and she knew that better than anyone. She had seen him do amazing things out of sheer will power, and his bonds with all of his Pokemon proved he had a heart made of the purest gold imaginable.

Instead, she focused on something she probably shouldn't have, given the situation. His toned and muscled back was tantalizing enough, but her eyes began to drift further south than she planned. Not only was his back toned and muscled to the point of being a possible male model, but so was his back _side_. _Oh, my..._ Serena found herself trembling. Her hands unconsciously moved lower before she caught herself, keeping her hands on the task.

The sting on his back had lessened to nearly nothing as Serena continued to work, and Ash found himself beginning to enjoy the attention he was getting. A little too much in his own opinion, for all of the blood in his body seemed to be rushing in the wrong direction.

Serena was not unaffected by the situation either. Heat was beginning to rise in the lower regions of her stomach, spreading through her like a fire, and the same heat seemed to be affecting her breasts, her nipples showing beneath the towel she wore.

Swallowing down a knot of nerves, she gave his back a final once over with her sponge, and stepped back. "Alright, I think that'll do it." She whispered as he glanced over his shoulder at her, her stomach fluttering as a now familiar look entered those amber/blue orbs. "I'll just let you finish and -eep!" He whipped around and brought her against his body, his lips crashing into hers.

The sponge slipping from hr grasp, her arms instinctively reached around his neck, burying her hands in his wet locks. Pressed against him as she was, she couldn't help but feel his manhood pressing against her stomach, making her shiver as his hands began to roam.

The towel slipped from her body, whether coming loose on its own, or because he had taken it from her, she did not know, nor did she care. The heat that had began rising within her now became a raging fire as she moaned against his lips, opening her mouth to allow him access.

A growl of approval was the only response she got before he pulled her under the spray, yelping as the water became slightly cold against her hot skin. He released her lips, trailing kisses across her cheek, and down to the curve where her neck met her shoulder. A gasp escaped her lips as he kissed and nipped at her skin.

She pressed her lips against his neck, returning the favor as she clung to him. Ash groaned as she suckled his skin, almost laughing as she surely marked him just as he had her.

He turned her toward the wall and pressed her back against it, reaching down to clasp her bottom in his hands, startling a yelp out of her as he kneaded her flesh, enjoying the feeling of her skin in his roughened palms. Her legs wrapped around his waist, holding herself against him as he continued his ministrations on her, the throbbing heat of her body threatening to boil over.

Ash was well prepared to continue as he was, save for the fact that his erection was now trapped between them, and sliding against her own, slick core, dripping with her own arousal.

Serena shivered as he moved against her, "A-Ash, w-wait a minute," she gasped, her head swimming as he stopped, drawing back from her with a worried look on his face, afraid he'd taken things too far.

"Should we stop?" He asked, hoping she wasn't upset. But the girl shook her head, a small smile coming to her lips.

"I don't want to stop," she sighed, kissing him lightly on the lips, "I just...don't want my first time to be in the shower...take me to the bed."

Smiling, Ash did not need to be told twice as he set her on the floor, steadying her as her legs threatened to give out before he turned and shut off the water. Serena stepped out first, toweling off as Ash came out next, shamelessly looking over her body. All of their traveling together had made her a lean, strong young woman, yet she still had the growing proportions of a voluptuous figure.

Without giving her proper time to dry herself, Ash swooped down and scooped her into his arms. Serena squealed at the sudden action, but found herself giggling as Ash planted kisses on her lips and neck, moving them toward the door. She reached out and opened it for him, not wanting his hands away from her for a moment as the excitement of what was to come rushed through her.

"The door," he mumbled against her skin, motioning toward the door of their room, "Is it locked?"

Serena shook her head, cursing herself for forgetting their recent string of bad luck with unlocked doors. A growled rose deep from his chest as he moved toward the bed, laying her down on the blankets before hurrying to lock the door. As he did this, Serena took the opportunity to get a look at him herself, her eyes gazing hungrily over his sculpted figure.

As he turned, however, her eyes landed on the very thing that had driven her to near bliss in the shower. A shiver of terrified delight rushed through her at the thought of him taking her. She wanted it, more than anything in that moment, yet she was dreading the pain that was sure to come. Ash was not small, though she didn't have anyone to compare him to, nor did she want to compare.

She was only wondering how their bodies were supposed to fit together.

Ash caught her gaze as he turned around, and found himself a little prideful as he made his way back to her. He crouched down on the bed, hovering over her as she reached for him, pulling him down to her lips. He laid fully on top of her, his arms winding around her tightly. Slowly, nervously, she spread her leg out, letting him settle between them, feeling his hardened length against the inside of her thigh.

He pulled away from her slowly, lingering on her lips as he looked down at her with a small hint of guilt in his eyes. He knew there would be pain, and that there was no way to avoid it. Serena smiled at him, reaching up to caress his cheek which he leaned into, covering her hand with his own. "Tell me if you want me to stop, alright?"

"I won't have to," she said, lifting her right leg over his hip to press him down onto her.

He propped himself up on one arm, using the other to guide himself into her entrance, pushing into her slowly as the girl bit her lip to keep her voice in check while he stretched her untried passage. He wasn't even half-way in before he bumped into her barrier, her breath hitching. His eyes found hers as she steeled herself, giving him a nod before he thrust into her, pushing his full length inside.

Serena couldn't stop the pained yelled that ripped from her throat, causing Ash to freeze as her hands gripped at his shoulders, her nails breaking the tender skin beneath. He grit his teeth against the pain, knowing that she was in worse shape thanks to him, and allowed her to cling to him as she adjusted to him.

In truth, it was torture to keep himself still. She was squeeze his member so tightly that it was almost painful, yet, at the same time, it felt incredible to have her warm wrapped around him that now he knew why Brock tried so hard.

Meanwhile, Serena's body trembled from his entrance, the pain shooting through her abdomen all the way up to her chest. She kept herself still, fearing any movement at all would set off another round of pain for her. But as she waited, the unpleasant feeling began ebbing away to nothing. She released her death grip on his shoulders, providing him with some much needed relief from her 'claws' as he looked down at her, his face strained somewhat.

"You okay?" He asked.

She nodded, finally able to take in the feeling of him inside of her. She felt...stuffed. Literally stuffed to the gills. A giggled came from her throat as the thought passed through, making Ash look at her curiously before he hissed when she gave an experimental movement of her hips, grinding into him. He took that as a sign to go ahead and move himself.

So he did.

Slowly, he pulled out of her, a small moan coming from both of them as the sensations began to rise. He didn't go very far before he pushed back in equally as slow, finding the pace easy, and, to both of their surprise, enjoyable. Serena wasn't about to complain as Ash began the pace, the blissful feeling as he rocked against her gently overcoming all of her other senses.

She ground her hips against his as they met, increasing the pleasure for both of them each time until he started quickening his pace. Soon she was rocking against him just as he was her, each thrust becoming stronger than the last as sweat began to bead on their skin. Her moans grew in volume as she threw her head back, pressing her chest against him firmly, her sensitive nipples grazing against his skin adding fuel to an ever growing fire building up inside of her.

Ash's breath came out in ragged gasps, mixing with the sounds coming from his lover's mouth, and the sound of their skin meeting. She used her legs to pulled herself against him to meet his thrusts now, having grown accustom to the new pace, and, finding that she liked it, wanting more.

"Ash," his name came out on a moan, driving him into a frenzy as she reached over, clasping his hand with hers. He felt her grip him tightly as her free arm held onto his shoulders as he felt her begin to tighten around him, "Oh, I think I- _AH_!"

Suddenly, her entire body arched, clamping down on him so tightly that he couldn't hold himself back from his own climax, and spilled himself inside of her, his body jolting from the combined force of both his and her own release. He collapsed on top of her a moment later, having spent himself as he fought to control his breathing.

Serena was no better as she came down from the high of their love making. "W-wow...that was...wow..."

She felt Ash chuckle and raise himself up to look down at her, "Yeah," he leaned down and kissed her forehead, "I never thought it could be so incredible."

He rolled off of her, falling onto his side as she cuddled up against him, "I did," she said smugly while she rest her head against his shoulder, looking up at him with a slight grin on her face, "But you know...we still need to treat your back."

Ash chuckled and looked out the window, seeing that the sun was just going down, "Well, we've got all night to do that."

Serena giggled as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, "I like the sound of that."

* * *

 _ **Early for a lemon, I know, but hey, randomness is kind of my thing. Now, in this chapter, bar the lemon at the end, we have CIPHER's plans coming to a slight head as Venus and Ardos discuss a potential Shadow Pokemon. And Lovrina is out of harms way...for now, at least, and under the care of Delia, and Tracey.**_

 _ **Next Chapter is gonna be a slight delayed reaction to Ash's interview, seeing as some new broadcasts take some time to travel to certain places, but I hope I don't disappoint.**_

 _ **As for romances, you'll see multiple couples in this fic, and possibly more lemons depending on my insanity meter at the time, or just how pervy I can get with that couple.**_

 _ **Anyway, review if you liked it, and don't if you didn't, Ciao!**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**This chapter will take place a week after the previous chapter in time. Therefore things will have progressed further.**_

 _ **10: The Challenge**_

* * *

Max Maple crept quietly down the stair of his home, careful not to make any noise as he made his way to the living room. Behind him was a small white Pokemon with a green dome-shaped head, and a red fin atop its head. "Ralts?"

Max hushed him quietly, "Shh, come on, Ralts, this is gonna be our only chance if we wanna make it to port before the boat leaves," he said, the eleven year old boy holding a finger to his lips. "Dad and Mom would never let me go if I asked again."

Max Maple was a little bit older than he should have been to be starting his Journey. The reason behind this was because, originally, he had wanted to travel the world first, heading to Kalos right off the bat. While father, Norman Maple, leader of the Petalburgh Gym, had had no problems with it, his mother had request that he wait another year, and train under his father before he made the trip. In that amount of time, the young would-be-Trainer had found his old friend, Ralts, and made him his first Pokemon, receiving a Pokedex only a few days later from Professor Birch on his brithday.

But last night as Max was packing his bags for his long trip, a new broadcast had appeared on the TV that had all but derailed his plans. Ash Ketchum, the man he viewed as his older brother, and his sister's mentor, was in Orre, the one place in the entire world he knew next to nothing about. It was a dead zone. And Ash looked horrible.

Norman, seeming to read his mind, had immediately forbidden him from going. Orre, as he explained it, was the worst place for anyone to be, even someone like Ash, who was trying to turn it into a true region. It bordered Johto on the mainlands, sandwiching the central region between the desert region and Kanto. Food and Pokemon were said to be scarce in the region, so a Pokemon League was well out of the question, but Ash seemed to think otherwise.

However, Max had made up his mind.

Now, once again, he was sneaking out of his house, and about to start out on his first real Journey since he'd traveled with his sister and Ash. Ralts, of course, didn't like the idea of sneaking out and leaving without a word to his parents, but he also didn't want Max to be unhappy. And not going to Orre would make him unhappy.

Finally making it down the stairs after what seemed like hours, Max hurried to the door and slipped on his shoes. Shouldering his backpack, he reached for the door.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Norman's voice said loudly, halting the boy in his tracks. "I thought I made it clear that you weren't going anywhere near Orre!"

Rather than turn around, knowing his father would be right there waiting for him, Max gripped the door handle all the tighter. "You can't stop me."

"Oh no?" He heard the man stepping toward him.

"Ralts, hold him with Psychic!" Max shouted, looking down at his partner. Ralts nodded, a thin veil of blue energy coming over him, and Norman as the man was lifted from the ground. The attack wasn't meant to injure, so Norman simply floated there with a scowl on his face. "Sorry, Dad."

"MAX!" Norman roared, "I forbid you to leave! Are you listening to me!?"

The door closed as Max and Ralts stepped outside, the boy casting a quick glance over his shoulder at his father one last time before he picked Ralts up, and ran down the road.

Norman crashed to the floor only a few minutes later as Ralts obviously released him, or was well out of range to perform the attack anymore, and lept to his feet. "Damn that boy!"

"He's just like you when we were just kids," Caroline's voice drifted to his ears as the woman came down the stairs, a small, sad smile on her face, "you know you'll never be able to catch up with him, right?"

Norman growled, "I've got to do something!" He said, reaching for the door, "He doesn't know what he's getting into!"

Caroline hurriedly came down to stop him, "Dear, it's too late." She said, "He's not just a little boy anymore, he's a trainer, and he's your son." She said, drawing him away from the door, "Ash taught him well, and you did even better because you taught him how to battle like a Gym Leader."

"You can't be alright with this," he said, looking down at his feet, "Ash may be able to handle that region, but Max only has his two Pokemon! He doesn't know how to survive in a region that harsh!"

"He's a smart boy," Caroline said, "he won't get hurt, and he'll have Ash there as well. Once he's there, where do you think he'll go?"

"Straight to Ash," Norman sighed, shaking his head, "I still don't approve of this."

She nodded, and laid her head against his chest, "I know you don't, but you knew he'd leave us sooner or later, and Orre isn't that far away." She said, smiling up at him, "We could be there in a few days if we wanted to."

"That's the only good thing about this situation," Norman said, shaking his head, looking down at his wife, "How did our children turn out to be so wild?"

Caroline giggled, "I blame their father for that."

=|Two Days Later|=

"Molly, dear, please hurry," the woman called out, "The ship will be leaving any minute!"

Molly, a girl around ten or eleven, looked up toward the ship at her mother, "But I can't find Teddiursa!" She called up, "We can't leave without her!"

The woman smiled down at her, "Well, keep looking, then. I'll go have a word with the captain, but please hurry."

Molly nodded and scampered off around the port in search of her beloved Pokemon, hoping it wouldn't take long to find her. Slapeport was a bustling little city filled with stalls and vendors of all kinds selling everything from Pokeblocks to Pokepuffs. Molly knew her little friend had more than a little bit of a sweet tooth, so she headed there first.

Sure enough, the little cub was found nosing around the scents of a Poffin stand where a man was trying to shoo her away. Molly sighed at the little glutton and scooped her up, giving a small apology to the stall owner before she ran back to the port.

The sound of the boat horn reached her ears, and the girl yelped as she saw the ship starting to move.

Back on the ship, Mrs. Hale was roaring at the captain as the ship began to move away from port. "I thought I told you my daughter was still in port!" She shrieked, searching the crowds below, "You can't just leave her behind!"

"And I told you that we can't delay our departure any longer!" The man shouted back, "If you were so worried about her, then you should have gone with her!"

"My husband is a renown Pokemon Professor," she snapped, "We were to meet up with him when we docked in Johto, and now I won't have our child with us. I'll have you f - "

"Mama!" She whipped around, bent over the railing as she caught sight of the girl stumbling into the shipyard, "Don't leave without me!"

"Stop the ship!" She pleaded desperately to the captain, "Please!"

The captain looked lost, shaking his head, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but we can't. We have to go."

Mrs. Hale was close to slapping the captain when she saw something that would forever be burned into her mind. Molly was lifted from the ground, and started _flying_ up toward the ship with a shocked expression on her face as she held onto her Teddiursa tightly to keep the the little Pokemon from falling from her grasp.

She was soon joined by a young man, around her age if the woman was any good judge, wearing a green zipped jacket and kakki jeans, and wide-rimmed glasses. On his back was a Ralts that was obviously using Psychic to keep all of them aloft, which said to her that the little Pokemon, though still in its first form, was indeed a powerful Pokemon.

Molly landed on the deck softly sinking to her knees as the boy landed next to her and Ralts tumbled off of his back and down into his arms, exhausted. "Way to go, Ralts!"

 _"No problem,"_ the little Psychic type said telepathically.

Molly looked over at her savior, and gave a small nod, "Th-thank you."

The boy just grinned at her, causing her to blush slightly at the roguish look, "No problem, just like Ralts said," he grinned, "Besides, we needed to catch this boat, too, and - "

"MOLLY!"

Molly was all but crushed by her mother's embrace as the woman rushed toward her, and peppered her face with kisses. The girl giggled as she tried to get out of the hug, "Mama, this boy was the one that helped me!"

"I know, I saw that," the woman said, smiling at the boy, "Thank you so much! I don't know what I would've done if I'd had to leave her behind!"

Max scratched the back of his head bashfully, "Ah, it's no biggie, besides, it was Ralts that did all the work!"

" _And I'm really strong, too."_ Ralts said, smiling up at the humans.

Mrs. Hale was more than a little surprised at the mental voice of the little Psychic/Fairy type. "Goodness, I've never heard of a talking Pokemon before that wasn't a Legendary." She smiled, "That's quite a little friend you have, young man."

"Thanks," Max smiled, "This boat goes to Johto, right?"

"It does," Mrs. Hale said, "But why are you traveling so far from home? A Journey?"

Max stood, shrugging, "I'm actually trying to get to Orre, but there aren't any ships that go directly there."

"Orre?" Molly asked, surprised, "That's where my daddy's going. We were supposed to meet him in Olivine City."

"Aren't you a little young to be going to an area like that?" Her mother asked, looking at the boy in concern. "Orre isn't exactly a civilized place."

Max chuckled, "I traveled two years before I even had a Pokemon," he said, smiling, "And my friend is in Orre right now, and I wanted get over there and lend a hand!"

"That...wouldn't happen to be Ash Ketchum, would it?" Mrs. Hale asked, and beamed when the boy nodded, "So you're the boy he once told Molly and I about! I hadn't realized you'd be such a young trainer."

"But Uncle Ash said he was a Gym Leader's son, didn't he?" Molly asked, looking Max over once more, "And you had an older sister that he taught about being a trainer, right?"

"That's right," Max nodded, grinning, "My sister's the Queen of Hoenn, May Maple. She's traveling around Sinnoh right now for Contests, but when I saw Ash on the news, I just had to go!"

Mrs. Hale looked a little skeptical, "With only one Pokemon?"

Max shook his head, "No, I've got one more that my dad gave me for my birthday this year." He said, producing a Quick Ball from his belt, "It's a Blitzle he caught while looking for Pokemon in Unovah."

Molly was delighted, "Really, I've never seen a Blitzle before!" Max grinned and released the little Electrified Pokemon out onto the deck, stamping her hoof in a show playfulness. It then promptly Sparked Max as a show of affection, sending the young teen to the deck in a heap. Molly giggled and patted the foal, "You sure have a lot of Spark, don't you?"

Max groaned, "How did Ash put up with this?"

=x=

At the same time in Orre, work was progressing fairly well on the town of Pyrite. Willy and Ash, who was now back on his feet, were doing their best to repair the Colosseum. A surprise came when Professor Krane had arrived via helicopter, with none other than a familiar trio flying the machine. It had been a ridiculous affair when Ash found out that Jessie, James and Meowth were around, but the good professor had quickly calmed him down when he told him that he had a larger cargo chopper ready to bring in supplies whenever he needed.

Now, however, all of them were placing the reflective paneling over the Colosseum roof while Meowth and the young Professor worked on the inside to get an air conditioning unit in place, and clean up the stadium.

Kurt had set up a home in the walls around the town, tilling up a large field for his plants and saplings, which were thriving under his care even in the harsh environment. With the help of his three Slows, caring for the his shop, and his plants was easier than he figured. That didn't stop people from buying his wares. Far from it. Kurt was having a huge success rate now that his shop was going at full throttle.

Nurse Joy was a popular addition to the town, and practically had every male eating out of her hand. If the odd-ball of the Nurses even sneezed, she had twenty hands holding out hankies. If it wasn't for that monster Gyarados of hers, she might have been in trouble.

Serena, when she wasn't helping out Joy, or Kurt, was running the Colosseum with Ash's help, though no one had challenged her, yet, she was well prepared for it. With more people gaining Pokemon from the wilds, Willy was pretty much out of the job unless someone wanted one of the large desert dwelling Pokemon such as the more powerful, evolved Pokemon that roamed the mountains and the caves, Willy stuck to helping the Kantonese trainers get everything underway.

The greatest thing that happened within that week was the arrival of the Orange crew. Sissy, of course, stayed in Gateon Port, where she would establish her Gym.

As for the rest, Drake and Rudy had gone to Phenac to scope things out, while Luana stayed with Professor Crane until she found a spot to place her own Gym. The arrival of the Gym Leaders, however, did not sit well with someone in particular.

It was rare for Venus to come out of hiding in the Under Town, but the word on the grapevine was the Pyrite Town was vastly different than what it had once been.

"This won't do at all," she said as she watched from the cliff overlooking the town. The people seemed happier now, and healthier. The streets were clean, and there looked to be a Pokemon Center on the verge of being completed as well as a frequented shop near the old market. And there were more and more trainers popping up every day.

She reached for her Pokegear, "Hello, Dakim? It's Venus." She said into the machine, "Mind lending me some of your boys? I have someone I need to break in the Under Dome."

=x=

It was well passed dusk when the former member of Team Rocket finished his work. "Alright, light'er up!" James called down from the top of the Colosseum, waving a wrench in his hand. Down below an old man hopped up on a huge switch, and hauled it down. Moments later, the Colosseum's dome, and interior lit up brightly, burning away the darkness of the night.

Standing down below was a crowd watching the men work on the Colosseum, a roaring applause rising from them as the lights came on. Serena was at the forefront of the crowd as she was supposed to be, a microphone in hand. As the applause faded to nothing, she turned to the crowd with practiced ease with her time in the Showcase, "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the rebuilt Pyrite Colosseum!" Again, there was a roar that quickly quieted, "As you all know, my friends and I have been working tirelessly to make this town great, and within the two weeks I've been here, my dearest Ash has managed to bring to you a fantastic Pokemon Center with our very own Nurse Joy, and from Johto, the legendary Pokeball maker, Kurt has set up shop right here!"

Another roar went up in appreciation for Ash this time along with well-wishes, and gratitude. The young man himself, standing beside his girlfriend, made a small bow.

"It's not going to stop here," Serena went on, smiling, "This very week, four Gym Leaders have arrived to establish a Pokemon League here, making Orre a functioning region."

"What about a Champion?" Someone yelled, and Serena saw that it was that Newswoman that spoke to Ash a week ago, her cameraman focused on her. "I've heard that Ash Ketchum, your boyfriend, is indeed the Champion of the Orange League. Would I be wrong in assuming that he will be taking the title of Champion here as well?"

All eyes turned back to the girl, who was at a loss until Ash motioned for the mic. He took it with a bright smile on his face, "If we and when we establish out Gyms, there will be a period of eight months before the League is held. This will give interested trainers time enough to visit all five Gyms, and train as hard as they can before the competition is held. In that time, I will be participating as well, and earn that title again if I'm lucky."

"Does that mean you're stepping down from your Championship?" Gabby asked, astonished.

Ash grinned, "I have competed in every official League there is," he said, booming, "When the Orange Conference becomes official, then I'll compete again, and I will not be holding back against anyone that wants to challenge me. I will work, and earn that title, just like any other trainer would."

"Then how about accepting a challenge from me?" A woman sang out, and Ty whipped around to see a tall woman with honey-blonde hair smiling from behidn a pink veil. On her back was a crescent moon, holding together a white and pink silk dress.

Standing near where Ash and Serena were, Lovrina and Tracey stood, the girl ducking behind him to avoid being seen by the woman as she advanced. Tracey felt her trembling violently against his back as she made her way to the center of the crowd.

Ash saw this and had a good guess as to who this woman was. "Miss Venus, I take it?"

Venus tittered out a laugh, "My, aren't you well-informed?" She said, her eyes narrowing at the girl hidden behind Tracey, "One of my little birds must have sang for you, no doubt, but you are, nonetheless, correct, Mister Ketchum."

"How I know about you really doesn't matter," Ash said, anger clear in his voice, "because I think you had a hand in me being dumped out in the desert not so long ago."

Another titter, which was beginning to grate on his nerves, "I haven't the faintest idea who would do such a thing." She said, "Now, my dear boy, about that challenge I mentioned?"

"Go on," Ash said, crossing his arms.

"Well, as you can probably guess, there happens to be another, more rugged Colosseum in this little settlement," she went on, ignoring some of the responses she received for the veiled insult. "And I happen to run it. My challenge is this: You take on four of my best, using only three Pokemon at your side, while they fight at full force. Should you win, and make your way to me, we will battle for complete possession of this town."

"And if I lose?"

Venus smiled from behind her veil, "Then, my dear...you belong to me."

* * *

 _ **Been way too long since I updated this story, but there's not a lot going on in this chapter, save for Max making his move, as well as Venus issuing a challenge of her own.**_

 _ **The stakes, Pyrite Town.**_

 _ **Don't forget to review!**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**I wasn't really happy with the last chapter. Two months of sitting on it, and I rush it out just on New Years. Hopefully, this one will be better.**_

 ** _Pyrite Town Arc_**

 ** _11: An Unexpected Turn_**

* * *

Ash bit back a growl as Venus cast the die. All eyes were on him to walk, or take the bet. The stakes were high, that much was for sure. But the winnings weren't high enough for him if he won.

"I have some demands of my own," Ash said, making the smile on the woman's face falter, "First of all, if you're asking me to fight with a handicap, then I'm fighting with two different teams of three. Three will go up against your grunts, and three will be waiting just for you."

"Oh, how sweet," Venus smiled, "Setting aside a special team just for li'l ol' me."

"Second," Ash growled, his brow twitching, "I want the Snag Machine back."

Serena looked up at him as Professor Crane grinned at the boy. Venus, if she hadn't already lost her composure, now showed it. There was a frown on her face, her brow furrowed angrily. "And just how do you know about that particular machine?"

Ash just smirked, "Why do you think I was called here in the first place?" He asked, seeing the woman frown deeper, "Professor Krane had it for safe keeping, but your guys went and stole it, so he called in the big guns."

Venus was quiet for a moment, then the smile slowly returned, "Very well then, little boy," Ash grit his teeth over that, "Two days from now, in my Colosseum in The Under, we'll see just how good an _unofficial champion_ really is."

"Oh, you'll see, and so will the rest of the region," Ash grunted as he looked at the camera crew, winking. Gabby nodded, and prodded Ty in the side, smiling.

As Venus turned and left, Ash nearly lost it right there and then. If Serena wasn't holding onto his arm, he would have. "Ash, are you sure about this?"

"About beating the bitch out of her?" Ash asked, clenching his fists, "Damned right I am!"

"I mean the bet," Serena said, "What if you lose!?"

Ash smiled at her, "Don't you worry about that. I know exactly how to handle this."

=x=

Later that evening as Serena slept, Ash sat on the edge of the bed, fiddling with his Pokedex. He had his four best Pokemon with him, and the two new additions of Vibrava and Steelix, which he had yet to unveil.

Then there was the chance that Venus wouldn't keep her end of the bargain. It was part of the reason he'd hinted to the news crew to be there, the other part being to get Venus play fair. There wasn't a huge hope of that, but given how much she seemed to care about her image, there was a chance that she'd play fair.

Of course, there was the problem of the four trainers he'd be going up against. Assuming that they would all be using native Pokemon was beyond idiocy. Venus had to have something up her sleeve as far as Pokemon went. He would stick with Pikachu, Vibrava, and Steelix for the first half, and save Greninja, Charizard and Sceptile for Venus herself.

"Ash?" Serena asked as she sat up on the bed, rubbing her eyes sleepily, "What are you doing still up?"

Ash turned around as she sidled up to him, tucking her under his arm, "Just thinking about which Pokemon to use against Venus and her goons." He kissed her cheek, "Sorry I woke you."

"Hmm, you didn't, my stomach did," she sighed, shaking her head, "I've been feeling a bit queasy all day."

Ash gave a slightly worried look, "You didn't show it at dinner," he said, giving her a slight squeeze around her shoulders, "Matter of fact, I think you out ate me for once." He joked, getting a light jab in the side for it.

"Only a Snorlax could out eat you, Ash, and that's pushing it," she shot back with a smile, placing a hand on her stomach, "I don't get it though. I felt fine yesterday."

Ash got up from the bed, stretching, "Maybe it's just a bug. Or the change in temperatures. Arceus knows I'm still getting used to it. Hot all day, and freezing during the night." He pulled on his jacket and headed for the door, "I'll get you some water, maybe that'll help."

Serena nodded and laid back down, pulling the covers over herself as he left the room, her stomach churning. Pikachu and Pixie woke up when the door closed, the little Ice type bounding onto the bed to nestle against her trainer's head. Serena smiled as the little Pokemon's cool fur brushed against her face. Pikachu bounded over and nestled against her stomach, his ears twitching this way and that. She reached down and petted him while he fussed over her. "It's okay, Pikachu, I'm just not feeling well."

"Pika." He cooed, his ears drooping, and rubbed up against her stomach, practically purring. The act confused her for a moment. He hadn't done it often, but when Pixie was still in her egg, Pikachu had made the same sounds he was making now. It made no sense.

She sat up, unsettling Pixie who looked up at her, worried, as she set Pikachu in her lap. "You're trying to tell me something, aren't you?" She asked the little Mouse Pokemon as he purred more urgently, butting his head softly against her stomach. Then something hit her, and hit her hard.

 _"Serena, did I ever tell you how I figured out I was pregnant with you?" Grace asked her daughter one evening, the girl shaking her head, "It was Ryhorn. I wasn't very far along, but Ryhorn could sense it. He wouldn't leave me alone until I spoke to Nurse Joy about it."_

 _"Did she tell you about me?" The little girl asked._

 _"No, but she did suggest I get checked out because Ryhorn was being so fussy about me," Grace smiled, looking out he window fondly at her old partner, "Sure enough, your father and I went the doctor and found out I was little over a week along with you."_

 _Serena looked out at the old Pokemon, "Can all Ryhorn do that?"_

 _"I suppose any Pokemon could if they sensed a change in their trainer's bodies," the woman smiled, patting her head, "So when you get married, be sure to pay close attention to how your Pokemon act around you. It might just save you a trip to the hospital."_

Serena stopped petting Pikachu, her hand slowly going to her stomach, "No...no way..." her cheeks began to turn bright pink, "We didn't...just that one night..."

"Pika Cha?" Pikachu said, patting her hand.

She looked down at the little Pokemon, "Pikachu...are you...trying to tell me I'm...pregnant?"

"Chu," a nod of his head was all it took for her to get the message.

A whirlwind of emotions whipped around inside her, but above it all...she felt elated. "Pikachu, go find Ash for me," she said, smiling at the little Mouse.

Ash meanwhile, was searching the kitchen for a clean glass, and not having much luck, "Jeez the staff around this place need to get on the ball," he grumbled to himself as he soaped up a glass he'd found in the sink, cleaning it out thoroughly before filling it back up.

"Ash?" A voice said from behind him, the light flicking on, revealing Drake, "What are you doing up so late?"

Ash grinned back at the man, "Just getting Serena some water." He said, showing him the glass, "What about you? Find any good spots for the Gyms?"

Drake shook his head, "Not many, but there were a few places we could set up without bothering the local Pokemon." He said, crossing his arms, "We actually found what looks like an old Colosseum site. It's pretty beat up, but it could be put to use. Other than that, Agate Village seemed the best place." He leaned against the door frame, "I spoke with the elder there, and he said that a Gym would be nice, provided we didn't hurt any of the Pokemon, or the environment. Danny would like the place. Nice and green. Rudy's looking for a place along the coast. And Cissy's still trying to get everything in Gateon cleaned up. Work in progress, but the people over there are helping out the best they can."

Ash smiled, "Glad to hear it. I'd hoped she could get that port cleaned up," moving over to the table, and sitting down for a moment, "I guess you already heard about my challenge against Venus?"

Drake chuckled, "Kind hard not to hear about something like that," he said, moving to take the seat next to him, "but Ash, are you really stepping down? That seems like quitting."

"I know, but this is a new League," Ash put in, "It's better with a fresh start."

Drake shook his head, "You start fresh with each journey, Ash," he said, sighing, "And look where it gets you. I've followed you ever since you beat me, and I've seen you fight at your best, time and again, the best you've done was in the Hoenn Leauge, and in the Kalos League. You'd have won if you hadn't run into Tobias, and you'd have won against Alain if you'd had some of your more seasoned Pokemon. That Charizard of yours is miles ahead of any other of the species I've ever seen, and Sceptile is just as powerful." He pointed out, "Face the facts, Ash, fresh starts have never ended well for you."

Ash frowned, "You don't think I should step down?"

"I think we should get those goons out of this town, and go ahead with our plans to turn this into a functioning region," he said, grinning, "And you should wipe the floors with anyone lucky enough to get past me, and defend your undefeated reign as Orange Crew Chief!"

Ash snorted, "You make it sound like I'm some grand champion that could take on anyone."

"Haven't you?" Drake asked, tapping his fingers on the table, "Ash, come on, you've faced every Legendary Pokemon out there, and even battled some of the Champions. You held your own against the most elite trainers I've ever seen, and some of them could wipe the floor with me without breaking a sweat. No one holds a candle to you when it comes to heart, and your so damned stubborn I could mistake you for a snoozing Snorlax."

"I'm not that bad," Ash said, scratching the back of his head.

"You can say that all day, and no one would believe you," Drake said, rising and heading for the fridge, "They keep beer?"

Ash shrugged, "No idea. I don't drink."

Drake sighed as he rummaged around, coming back out with a bottle in hand, "Not what I wanted, but root beer's not bad." He sat back down, flicking the cap off with his thumb, "So, what's all this I hear about a 'Snag Machine'?"

Ash was about to explain when Pikachu bounded into the room, and right into his lap. "Hey, buddy, what's - "

"Pika! Chu pikachu!" Pikachu squeaked, and tugged him out of his chair by his coat.

"Hey, hey, what gives!" Ash yelped, "And don't talk so fast, I can't understand you!"

"Pika! Chu pikachu!" The Pokemon repeated, and bounded back down the hall with Ash following after him. Drake watched them go, sighing. "Well, so much for that." He said, tipping the bottle back.

It was only a few minutes later that he heard a loud whoop, and laughter coming from Ash, and probably the girl he was with, and the man smiled, "Sounds like he's got a reason keep his title, now."

=x=

"He demanded the Snag Machine?" A large, burly man with red hair growled to the woman in front of him, "And he said it's the whole reason he's even here?"

Venus nodded, giggling, "Apparently so." She said, smiling at the giant of a man, "But I doubt he's up to scratch. Even without a Shadow Pokemon at my side, I can easily trounce that little whelp."

"Remember you said the same thing when that brat stole your Suicune?" Dakim growled, pounding his desk and rising, "We didn't retake this region just so another little runt could come along and pull the carpet out from under us. We're lucky the master even gave us this chance without harsh punishment."

"As I said, the machine will still be within our possession," Venus promised, "We can always rig up a fake - "

Dakim cut her off, grabbing a black and red piece of armor from a stand and tossing it to the desk, "This one _is_ a fake!"

"What?!" Venus squawked, "B-but how!? Professor Krane was known to have it in his possession!"

Dakim growled, and crushed the Snag Machine in his large hands, "It's nothing but a replica! Garbage meant to throw us off the trail of the real one!"

"Who has it, then?" Venus asked.

"If I knew that, don't you think I would have retrieved it?" He asked, sitting down once more, "The master wasn't pleased when I told him, but he let me keep my post here in the tower. But if that little punk starts a League here - "

"All we've worked for will go up in smoke," Venus sighed, "But fear not, he won't defeat me. Not with the Pokemon I have at my disposal, and your men. Don't forget why we kept them around."

Dakim could only smile at that, "The most ruthless of all the hunters in this region." He said, his smile turning cruel, "It's a shame though, because that boy has some impressive Pokemon from what I've heard."

=x=

"It was really very nice of you to put me up like this, Eagun," Danny smiled as he set his pack down, "I can't imagine you get many visitors from other regions like myself."

The elder of the village chuckled, "No, indeed we don't." He said, as his Pikachu curled up on the old bed in the room, "Truth be told, this was once my granddaughter's room."

Danny looked at him in question, "Really, but I didn't see anyone else roaming the house?"

"She's long since left our little nest," Eagun said sadly, "It's two years since we last saw her and her husband."

Danny smiled and sat on the edge of the bed whilst petting the Pikachu, "What were they like, these two?"

Eagun chuckled, "Well, being her grandfather, I can only dote on my little Rui," he said, taking a seat next to the man, "She was sweet, and kind to all who knew her. She loved exploring, even though we feared she would get hurt. But that never stopped her. In fact, it was how she met the man she would eventually marry." He reached over to a night stand where an old photo sat, showing a young woman smiling as she stood next to a tall young man, an Espeon in her arms, and an Umbreon at their feet.

Danny studied the pair for a moment, the man in particular, seeing his golden eyes, even from the photo, as piercing and fierce.

"When I first met him, he was mistrustful of most people, and only seemed to have faith in his Pokemon," Eagun went on, "But, my little angel, she saw him in a different light, which soon shown through when he fought for us time and again against cruel people that forced Pokemon that normally wouldn't harm others into fighting machines."

Danny smiled, "He sounds like a good man."

"He is," the elder nodded, "It was just hard to let my little girl go. I keep hoping to hear something from them. A letter, a call, something...but there's been nothing."

Danny frowned, "I'm sorry to hear that, being away from someone you love must be hard on you."

"Such is the way of the world," Eagun sighed, smiling at the younger man, "Well, enough woe, you have a long day ahead of you scouting a Gym site."

"I would appreciate your expertise if you wouldn't mind accompanying me?" He asked, "You would know just the right place for a Gym."

Eagun nodded as Pikachu bounded off the bed, and padded out of the room, "It's been a while since I last walked this village," he smiled, "I would be delighted to show you some choice spots."

Danny yawned a moment after the door closed, and placed his bag near the foot of the bed, and clattered against something. Curious, he knelt down and checked to make sure he hadn't broken anything. What he found, however, looked more like a dusty piece of armor. A red and black piece that was obviously meant to go over one's arm right up to the shoulder. "A costume piece?" He wondered, looking the strange thing over, shrugging a moment later and placing it right back where he found it, more mindful of where he placed his bag.

=x=

Max grinned as he leaned against the railing of the ship, looking down at the water, and the Pokemon diving in and out of the wake. More than once he thought he spotted a Milotic just below the surface, but the Pokemon had never appeared above the water to confirm his suspicions. Perched on his shoulder was Ralts, enjoying the sunlight.

"Hey, Max!" Molly shouted, causing the boy to turn, seeing the girl coming toward him with a smile on her face, "What're you doing?"

Max pointed down at the water where a pod of Dewgong and Seel had appeared, plunging in and out of the waves. The girl smiled in delight as she watched with him for a moment, "Will you try to catch one?"

"We're not close enough to the water," Max said, smiling, "I'd really like a Seel, but I'd have to be real close if I wanted to catch one, or even thing of getting the Pokeball back."

Molly frowned, disappointed, "Yeah, I guess you're right." She sighed, leaning against the rail beside him, "I wish I could be a Pokemon trainer like you, and Uncle Ash," she said, her eyes still on the pod, "I bet it's wonderful to travel all over the world with a Pokemon."

" _I like it,_ " Ralts put in from his perch. Max grinned at his partner, and looked back out to see, seeing something strange.

"Are those storm clouds?" He asked, pointing toward a darkening line that was growing rapidly. Both youngsters were looking out toward the black horizon, lightning flashing in the distance. The waters were churning angrily as the younger girl saw something leaping out of the water.

"Max, I think those are Pokemon!" Molly shouted as another, massive form lept from the water as the storm line got closer, and the ship began to rock. "They're huge! Are the Wailords!?"

"I don't think so," Max said, taking out his Pokedex.

{ _Kyogre: The Sea Basin Pokemon. When Kyogre surface, heavy rains are certain to follow. While in the mating season, when Kyogre come together in large pods, hurricanes have been known to form around them when they breach. Kyogre are a carnivorous species, often feeding on smaller sea-dwelling Pokemon such as Magikarp, Goldeen, Seaking, as well as Wailmer. Larger Kyogre, weighing 900-1000 lbs. ,have been witnessed to hunt and devour Wailord._ }

Max paled, "Th-those are Kyogre?!"

The ship swayed dangerously, prompting Molly to grab onto the boy for support as Ralts floated them away from the railing, not willing to risk either child getting thrown overboard by the large Pokemon. "I though Legendary Pokemon were really hard to find!" Molly squeaked as the storm clouds darkened the sky above them, "Why are there so many?!"

"It has to be mating season, like Dexter said, they only form pods then," Max yelped as the ship lurched, making him slip. Molly hauled him toward the residential quarters, and out of harms way. "This is bad!" The boy mumbled as the storm got worse, "None of them are very big, but with so many in one place - !"

"They could sink the ship!" Molly finished.

Out at sea, the pod of Kyogre continued to dive in and out of the violent waves, not caring whether or not their fun and games harmed others. Though there were not bigger than a large Wailord, each Kyogre was large enough to swallow a Wailmer easily. The thrashing bodies that dove in and around others of their kind slammed against rivals, the sound resembling a thunder clap.

Max couldn't take his eyes off the beasts as, the closer they got, the more he saw. "There's hundreds of them!" He yelled from the door of the cabin as more people gathered to the windows to see the amazing group. Each Kyogre looked mostly the same, save for their sizes varying, which was what amazed most people. But Max saw something different. Within the pod was one smaller than the rest. And there was no blue on its body.

"Wow, look at that one!" He heard Molly say, "It's all white!"

"Yeah," Max breathed out as the white Pokemon lept from the waves again...no, not a leap...it was thrown!

Suddenly, an enormous wave of water erupted from the sea, and the biggest Kyogre yet broke the surface, keening so loud that Max had to cover his ears against the sound. It crashed back into the waves, its tail slamming down onto the smaller white Kyogre. The strange one didn't stay down for long as it was tossed back into the air by yet another of its kind, only to be slammed into by another that breached, throwing it away from the group.

Molly whimpered at the sight of the beating the poor creature was getting, "Why are they doing that?" She asked tearfully. "It hasn't done anything wrong!"

"They must not want it around because it looks different," Max surmised, sighing as the beaten runt moved out of the pod to lick its wounds. "It's been known to happen. Some Pokemon can accept others that don't look the same, others won't and chase them away. Either way, I think is over," he said as the pod began to move off, the storm following them.

The white Kyogre slunk away in the opposite direction, a larger, heavier storm following it as it sank into the sea. Max's heart went out to the Pokemon. Kyogre were rare any day of the week and seeing an entire pod was a once in a lifetime experience he wasn't about to forget. But he couldn't bring himself to feel excited. The brutal way that the white Kyogre had been so badly hurt by its own kind had unnerved him.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Molly asked, looking in the same direction as he.

The boy shrugged, "Dunno, but Kyogre are really strong. He won't die from just that."

* * *

 _ **So much happening in this chapter! Ash accepting a battle with Venus, and finding out he's an expecting father. Dakim revealing that hsi Snag Mashine is a forgery, and the location of the real Snag Machine. And Max and Molly have had a rough time at sea as they get caught in the middle of a pod of Kyogre.**_

 _ **See ya next time, and don't forget to review!**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Oh, yes, oh, yes, here I am again, ladies and germs, with an all new chapter featuring a recently popular romance between our favorite Pokemon Watcher, and a certain pink-hair princess!**_

 _ **12: Lovely Lovrina**_

* * *

The morning in the Pyrite hotel was much noisier than usual. Were it not for the fact that all of its occupants were already up and about, the noise would have woken them.

Why the cause of all the excitement?

Because a certain young couple had previously found out that they were expecting a little bundle of joy.

"I can't believe it's finally happening!" Delia all but cried whilst hugging her son, and future daughter-in-law, "I finally get my first grandchild! And it's from my baby's first girlfriend!"

Ash chuckled, and squirmed out of his mother's grip, "Well, I'm glad you're not mad at me for being irresponsible," he said whilst Serena blushed under Delia's care.

Delia giggled and released the girl allowing her to stand by her boyfriend, "Well, dear, I would be upset if you hadn't said you'd be marrying her before the baby was born," she said, smiling at the pair.

Now it was Ash's turn to blush. As soon as he'd found out about the baby, he'd suggested they get married as soon as possible. Serena had been delighted, of course, and said yes immediately.

Professor Oak just smiled, "Well, of course," the aged researcher said, "Ash is a very responsible young man, what with his traveling all over the place, he'd naturally take the best coarse of action."

Serena giggled as she leaned into Ash's shoulder, "Oh, I don't know, Ash has been known to get into really big trouble." She said, smiling playfully at the boy next to her. Ash just pouted, but she quickly kissed his cheek to make up for the jibe, "But he always manages to come out on top in the end."

"Thanks for that," Ash said, giving her a slight squeeze, "By the way, how are we gonna tell Grace?"

Serena stiffened at the mention of her mother, "Oh...um...do we have to?" Serena asked, looking thoroughly embarrassed, "Mom's gonna go crazy when she finds out that I'm gonna have a baby, but when she finds out where we are..." she trailed off, frowning as she looked around the hotel.

Ash frowned as well, "Yeah...that could be a problem...doesn't Grace have a Ryhdon?"

"She evolved it into a Ryhperior just before we left," Serena said, causing Ash to shiver. He did not want to be on the receiving end of a Ryhperior's wrath, or Grace's for that matter.

Delia giggled, "Don't you two worry. If she's anything like me, then she'll be here in two shakes of a Flaffey's tail." She said, patting the girl on the shoulder, "But Serena, dear, you do need to take it easier. Working with the people in town to improve things is fine, but you don't need to take it too far to the point of being exhausted like you have been while working with Kurt, and Joy. I suggest you take some time off today, and let someone else handle things."

"Ash has his battle against Venus tomorrow to think of," Serena pouted, "And I have to get things set up for Willy to take over as the Gym Leader here."

Drake came into the kitchen then, smiling away, "Well, why don't you let me and Willy handle things?" The Orange Crew leader asked, "I need to teach him how to battle like a Gym Leader, and if things get to hairy, we can always come find you."

"And I can handle the town," Samuel said, smiling, "I'm actually thinking about contacting Professor Elm and asking for some starter Pokemon from Johto as well as some from Kanto. Also, Professor Krane is making plans to build a bullet train track, as well as a few cargo vessels."

Serena looked a little worried, "Are you sure?" She asked, "I mean, this is my responsibility, and - "

All the while the growing family was talking, a certain pink-hair girl was watching with mixed feelings. Lovrina sat off to the side of the breakfast table, feeling entirely out of place as she listened to them going on about how things would run if Serena and Ash took a day off to rest, and about the arrival of their baby. She saw Tracey speaking with them as well when he came in for breakfast, offering a hearty congratulations to Ash and Serena before sitting next to her. A fact that usually, if not always, made the girl blush.

Shaking off her thoughts, she rose from her seat.

"Lovrina?" Tracey said when he noticed her move, "Where are you going?"

Lovrina bit her lip, "I...really shouldn't be here, Tracey," she said, catching Delia's attention, "I mean, after what I did..."

"Lovrina, dear," Delia said, smiling at the girl, "Would you mind helping me out for a moment?" She asked, taking her leave from the room, the girl following after her curiously. Tracey nearly followed after her as well, but a small look from Delia put him back in his chair. Lovrina followed the Ketchum matriarch into the hall, and stiffened when the woman turned to her with her hands on her hips. "Lovrina, how old are you?"

Lovrina blinked in surprise, "I-erm, well, I'm sixteen as of three months ago...why?"

Delia smiled at the girl, "Well, you're just a little too old for it, but I don't think it'll matter."

Now the girl was frowning, "Too old?" She raised her brow, "For what?

"To adopt, of course." Delia said, beaming as the girl's jaw fell open. "You see, I was talking it over with Ash earlier, and we both thought about giving you a real second chance, dear." She explained, "I realize that taking you into the family is a bit rash on my part, but even after so little time spent with you, I already think of you as part of my little family...or not so little anymore with Serena and the baby."

Lovrina was flummoxed, "But I...you...why?!" She yelled, tears springing to her eyes, "I was...I was horrible to you all, and I nearly got your son killed, and nearly hurt Serena!" She yelled, the tears leaking over, and spilling from her eyes as she scrubbed at them furiously, "I don't...Venus...she made do horrible things, and I...I kept doing them even though I knew they were wrong!"

Delia frowned and stepped forward to take the girl in her arms as she sobbed. "You keep asking me why, dear," she said, patting the girl on the back gently, "When I keep telling you it should be - "

"Why not?" Lovrina hiccuped.

"That's right," Delia said, smiling, "Now, what do you say? Would you be part of our family for real?"

Lovrina wiped her eyes clear, "You...really want someone like me as a daughter?"

Delia nodded, "That's right, because then I'd get Tracey as my son-in-law." The moment she said that, Lovrina's face lit up like a Camerupt with steam venting from her ears.

"It...it's not like that!"

Delia just shook her head, smiling all the while as the girl blushed.

"Hey, Mom?" Ash said as he rounded the corner, "We were thinking of going down to the sea for a little fishing, and Tracey wanted to know if Lovrina wanted to come?"

"She'd love to," Delia said for the girl as she nodded.

=|Now Meanwhile|=

Autumn giggled as she tugged the arm of the man she was with. Brock would have been annoyed, but the girl's excitement was far too infectious for him to resist. The fact that the girl looked too cute for words wasn't helping either. After a short shopping trip, Autumn now wore a black ruffled tank top, and a matching bordered skirt that suited her quite well. Milta had a black satin bow around her neck that the girl had bought for her, and now Brock found himself unable to say no to the girl as he was dragged around Olivine City while they waited for the ship to take them to Orre.

"Come on, Brock, don't be such a Slowpoke," Autumn smiled as she dragged the Pokemon doctor through the city, "I wanna see as much as I can before we leave the mainland!"

Brock chuckled as he was dragged along, "Wasn't that shopping trip in Goldenrod City enough?" He laughed as the girl went on ahead.

"Yeah, but I heard there was a really great place to get herbs and other medicines for Pokemon," Autumn said, smiling, "Besides, we could always buy some seeds to start up an herb garden in Orre."

Brock had to admit, it was a good idea. Most of the herbs he used were bred to grow in most every environment. He was honestly looking forward to taking the trip with Autumn now. As a former Rock-type trainer, seeing the region's Pokemon was something he would most definitely enjoy, and the thought of starting a Pokemon hospital in an area such as the barren region was a challenge that he was more than willing to undertake. Autumn, if he was honest, was a welcome breath of fresh air every time he turned around.

She was a country girl through and through, and everything about the larger towns and cities that they visited always amazed her.

As they moved through the shopping areas, Brock indeed found many different herbs he could cultivate in a desert environment, and Autumn found a few berries she could easily grow to flavor ice cream when she got around to opening a shop of her own.

"Hey, Brock, look at this," Autumn said, bringing him out of his thoughts, "Isn't this bikini cute!" She squealed, holding up a red two-piece.

Brock noticed a few young men looking at the girl appreciatively, and growled, giving them a glare. "It's...cute, but don't you think it's a little revealing?"

Autumn smirked at him, "You'd like what you'd see, wouldn't you?" She grinned as the man blushed, "That settles it, I'm buying it!"

Brock shook his head as the girl practically bounced off to make her purchase. "Okay, so she got me, big deal." He grumbled, shaking his head again, "And I have to deal with this for at least a week on a boat...yeah, not good."

Meanwhile, across the Olivine port...

"Blitzle, knock it off already!" Max roared as he chased after the colt Pokemon, "We're gonna be late to meet Professor Hale!"

Max Maple had always loved Pokemon, and now that he had two of his own, he loved them even more. But his Blitzle sure made it hard to love the little rascal at times.

Molly Hale chased after the little renegade as well with her Teddiursa right behind her. "Come on, Blitzle, behave yourself!" She called after the little Electric-type. "Mama's gonna get mad at us!"

Max looked back over his shoulder, "No, she'll get mad at me for not getting Blitzle under control," he assured her as he tried to return Blitzle to her Pokeball, but the little live-wire was having too much fun running around dodging the beam of the Pokeball, and aggravating her trainer.

What had supposed to have been a short respite off of the boat to meet Molly's father had turned into a full on chase as he had let his Blitzle loose to let her stretch her legs. As soon as he had done so, the little Pokemon had run off, with Max frantically chasing after her.

By the time Blitzle had had enough of running around, Max and Molly were exhausted. As Max rested against a fence post, the little Electrified Pokemon came up to him and nuzzled him with her nose affectionately. Max sighed, smiling, "Yeah, yeah, you had fun dragging us around, didn't you?"

"Blitz," Blitzle nodded her head.

=x=

A small sigh escaped Serena's lips as she leaned back on the beach towel underneath the parasol. Sitting next to the sea, the heat of the day was no where near as bad as it was further inland. The breeze kicked up by the sea itself was nice and cool, and the shade the afforementioned item was perfect. Next to her sat her soon-to-be-husband, a fishing pole in hand, and a line out in the water.

"This was a good idea," she sighed, dozing slightly with Pikachu curled up beside her, "We should find time to do this more often."

Ash chuckled besider and laid his pole on the sand, "Fishing, or just coming to the beach to relax?"

"Hm, I'd love to bring the baby here," she sighed, almost asleep, "We could watch him play in the sand."

Ash grinned, leaning back beside her on his elbows, "It's too soon to know what the baby's gonna be, you know?"

Serena sighed again, "Every time I think about it, I see a little boy with your hair and eyes." She said, opening her eyes slightly to look up at him, "Don't tell me you want a little girl?"

Ash smiled, ad laid down beside her, tucking his arms behind his head, "Boy or girl, I'll love you both, no matter what."

Serena's eyes came fully open then, going wide as she sat up. "Ash, that's...that's the first time you said you loved me."

Ash grinned, rubbing his finger under his nose bashfully, "I didn't think I needed to say it," he admitted.

The girl smiled, laying back down and curling into his side, "You don't need to say it all the time," she admitted, "But it's still nice to hear."

As the young couple dozed under their shade, Tracey and Lovrina watched from a few yards away under their own parasol. Again, the rosette felt extremely out of place. Being next to Tracey almost always kept her calm for some reason, but now wasn't one of those times. Instead, she tried to focus on the bobber she had out in the water, but even that did nothing to calm her.

It was all just too much to take in.

Her life wasn't supposed to be this happy, was it? Of course it wasn't! She was taught to be ruthless, and cold, but here she was, having the time of her life after her fall from glory. She no longer had any of the Pokemon given to her by Venus, save for Roserade, nor did she have any power left over the town. She was disgraced in every sense of the word. But she just couldn't bring herself to feel any remorse over her lost position. Certainly, she wanted her Pokemon back, but they had only been recently given to her, and were trained to battle with multiple trainers. Roserade was the only one she had actually raised.

Before her battle against Serena, she had already planned so many horrible things for her that Venus surely would have done, but now she looked at the girl, happy and glowing. There was no way she would wish harm on her now.

"You doing okay over there, Lovrina?" Tracey asked, startling her out of her thoughts. "You seem a little down."

Lovrina shrugged, "You want me to be honest?" She asked, looking at the older boy sadly, "I don't know how or why all of you can be so kind to me," she said, frowning as she tucked her legs up against her chest and stared out at the water. "I mean, you saved me from...you know, those men in the alley, but anyone else would have left me there to be violated. Delia...Delia's been so wonderful that I can't believe I ever did what I did to her son over there." She motioned to where Ash and Serena lay, "And Serena should hate me for the same reasons. Hell, I nearly had Roserade hit her with Poison Sting, and she still doesn't hold it against me."

Tracey sighed and gave the girl a small smile, "Listen, I already said that Ash believes in giving second chances," he said, jerking his thumb at the raven-haired teen, "He got that from Delia, and Serena probably got it from him as well," he sat back, bracing himself on his arms, "Besides, people make mistakes all the time, Lovrina, but that doesn't mean they can't do good things, too. I mean look at Jessie, James and Meowth. They used to be part of Team Rocket, and now they're helping Professor Krane set up a railroad, and building all sorts of cargo ships."

Biting her lip, the girl gained a small blush on her cheeks, "And...you think I could really do something good for a change?" She looked at the boy again, "I mean, you know what I did, but you really think I could change?"

Tracey gave her a crooked grin, winking at her. "Haven't you already changed?"

Lovrina averted her gaze from him, her blush deepening, "I-I guess so?" She squeaked, her heart speeding up in her chest. True to Delia suspicions, Lovrina had indeed developed a crush on the Pokemon Watcher. He was only a year older than Ash at eighteen, which was good for her, because he had a more mature air about him. He was also a seasoned trainer if the way he handled His Scizor was anything to behold.

And he had been extremely kind to her. Of course, they all had, but the way Tracey treated her was wholly different. While the others went about their business, leaving the girl to herself, most often when she didn't want to be, Tracey would always find her somehow find her. She enjoyed - no - she loved his company, more than she ever thought possible.

Feeling a little braver, she scooted closer to him and leaned against his shoulder, much to the older teen's surprise. Lovrina kept her face down as Tracey blushed right up to his hairline. "Um, Lovrina, isn't this a little close?"

Gulping, Lovrina nodded, "It..it is, but...I like it."

~ _ziiiiiiiiiiiiing_ ~

The bobber Lovrina had cast out suddenly ducked under the water, and the line practically flew from the reel.

"Hey!" Lovrina dove for the fishing pole as he started getting dragged off, and held fast. She held her ground for all of a minute before she herself began to get pulled into the water. "T-Tracey, help!"

"Whoa!" Tracey was quick to come to her aid and wrapped his arms around her middle. Whatever was on the other end of her line was strong, and the slight girl had no chance of hauling it in on her own. Tracey, from his time at Professor Oak's ranch house, was stronger than the average trainer, but the moment he felt the pull Lovrina was getting, he knew whatever she had was not a small Pokemon. "Hey, Ash! Give us a hand!"

Ash came awake with a start, as did Serena, and saw the battle going on as Tracey and Lovrina fought to stay on land. The teen pelted across the sand and grabbed hold of the rod and reel, helping Lovrina pull in her catch. Both of them were surprised as Ash took charge of the battle, and hauled back with surprising strength.

Ash, traveling as long as he had, had built up lean, strong muscle that was deceiving to others that judged his size. Serena, however, knew better as she watched her lover easily hauling in the catch. His arms were as good as bands of steel, and his legs beams dug into the sand. And then there was that odd flash of blue in his eyes whenever he put his mind and body into something.

Before any further thoughts could rise, the Pokemon that Lovrina had attracted broke the surface with a crash. It was long and serpentine, and landed on the sand with a groan, spitting out the bobber from a long snout. The pink Pokemon looked up, spitting out a small gush of water, ready for a fight.

Lovrina cried out in delight, "A Goreyss!"

Ash took out his Pokedex, " _Gorebyss; the South Sea Pokemon. Gorebyss lives in teh southern seas at extreme depths. Its body is built to withstand the enormous pressure of water at incredible depths. Because of this, this Pokemon's body is unharmed by ordinary attacks. Although Gorebyss is the very picture of elegance and beauty while swimming, it is also cruel. When it spots prey, this Pokemon inserts its thin mouth into the prey's body and drains the prey of its bodily fluids._ "

Ash stepped in front of Serena as she came up to them, "Damn, I forgot how dangerous these things were."

Lovrina, however, was besotted with the Pokemon, "I want to catch it," she said, looking at Tracey with a smile, "Can I?"

"Go for it," he grinned.

Lovrina picked out Roserade's Pokeball, and tossed it into the air, "Alright, Roserade, let's knock some of the rust off!" She called out as Roserade appeared in a flash of blue light. Her loyal Grass-type hadn't seen battle for days since her defeat at Serena's hands.

The wild Gorebyss rose up like a serpent, coiled to strike.

"Start off with with Razor Leaf!" Lovrina yelled out. Roserade obeyed the command without hesitation, the sharp leaves shooting from her flowery arms.

The Gorebyss coiled and slivered out of the way with surprising speed. Tracey realized too late that it was using Agility as it closed the distance between it and the Grass-type. "Don't let it hit Roserade with its mouth!" He warned.

"Protect!" Lovrina yelled, and a sphere of energy covered Roserade, forcing Gorebyss to bounce off of it. "Now use Megadrain!" Vines shot from the arms of Roserade, and wrapped around the Water-type, a green glow draining it of its energy.

Gorebyss turned about and fired off a blue bolt of energy from its mouth. The bolt struck Roserade right on her left shoulder freezing it and the arm beneath. Ash recognized the Ice Beam easily enough, and looked to Lovrina, who was beginning to panic.

"Tell Roserade to use Sleep Powder," Ash instructed, "Then use a Lure Ball to end this. Roserade can't take another Ice Beam like that."

Lovrina nodded, and turned to her Pokemon, "Roserade, try using Sleep Powder while you've got it tangled up!" She yelled, and a bright blue powder rose from the vines entangling the Gorebyss. Gorebyss tilted and shook itself to try and keep itself awake. But the battle was already over with Roserade still entangling it with the Megadrain, and the added effects of Sleep Powder taking hold on it. Lovrina took a Lure Ball from her belt, and enlarged it just as Gorebyss went down.

She threw the ball with practiced ease, and the Gorebyss went inside. Waiting with baited breath, the girl watched as the ball began to shake, showing that although Gorebyss had been put down, it still had much fight left in it. The ball rolled a few times, then, and went still with a soft chime.

"Yes!" Lovrina jumped into the air, and hugged Tracey tightly, before blushing heavily when she realized what she'd done, and went to collect her new Pokemon. Roserade came up to her trainer, who hugged her, "You did great, Roserade, I'm so proud of you." She told the Grass-type, smiling.

Tracey grinned as the girl clipped the ball to her belt, "That was a great battle, Lovrina," he said, "You did really well."

Serena was about the congratulate the girl herself, but she noticed something strange.

Storm clouds were rolling into the area. The breeze had also picked up, and become a wind with a chilly bite to it. Hot as it was in Orre, they were all dressed in cool clothing, and noticed the chill right away as a clap of thunder rolled.

"A storm?" Lovrina questioned, "But it never rains here!"

Ash looked at the clouds as they gathered, and looked at the sea, "That's no storm," he said, pointing to the roiling waves beneath it, "That's a hurricane!"

"We need to get back to town, now!" Tracey said, racing to get their beach gear together to the jeep, "Ash, grab the rest of the gear, and let's get out of here!"

"Right," he said, ushering Serena toward the jeep, "Go on, I'll be there in a minute," he said, looking down at his partner, "Pikachu, look after her."

"Pika!"

"Ash, be careful," Serena said as the wind picked up, and felt the first sting of rain hitting her skin, "Oh, forget the gear, and come on!"

The wind had picked up to a howl, blowing sand and debris all across the beach. The first drops of rain would have been a welcome relief to the arid desert, but the storm that was rolling in was nothing short of disastrous. A whirling mass of storm clouds floated toward the region of Orre, bringing with it the freezing cold rains, hard shards of hail, and gale force winds that could flatten trees.

There was no relief coming with this storm. Only danger.

In the bay, long after the four teenagers had fled, the pod of wild Gyarados rose up from the waters, roaring at the storm. Gyarados were known for coming out and playing in the waves of hurricanes. But there was no play as the large leviathans watched the water rise over the sand bar separating their cove from the sea, a large shape crossed over into their territory. Instead of getting angry at the intrusion, the Gyarados welcomed the stranger into their midst, moving around it and guiding it to a safe haven at the bottom of the cove where it could rest and recover.

* * *

 _ **I'm back, and roaring to go. Does anyone wanna guess what just passed into the Gyarados cove? Let me know what you think of this chapter.**_

 _ **Don't forget to review!**_


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